Question My Soul
by SherbieJ
Summary: Bella leaves Edward with a silent promise to watch over him as his guardian angel, invisible to all but one. Fate introduces him to a new character, Maisie Curtis. Will fate be kind enough to let Edward and Bella stay together? Grab a few tissues & enjoy.
1. His View

**This entry takes place right around the end of Chapter 22, "Hide-And-Seek." It is in Edward's point of view. I DO NOT own any of Stephenie Meyer's wonderful characters. This is what I thought could have ended for those who were looking for a sad ending, to let out a few tears (yes, I did cry as I was typing this up). Don't get me wrong, I definitely would have preferred the ending that Stephenie Meyer has written, for many reasons. Please read and review. Thank you all for the comments and criticisms; I will use them to improve my writing for future entries. Thank you!**

EPOV (Edward's POV)

"Edward, you know we can't run in the sun with this much people around," Carlisle tried to comfort me. "We are going as fast as possible."

I knew that second to running, driving was the fastest way to get to the ballet studio that Alice saw twice_—_ first time at the hotel, and the second time when she ran up to meet me in the airport. That second time she saw the mirrored room, James was there, with Bella. I shuddered violently. Still, I couldn't help but think that even at almost 200 miles per hour, I could be too late.

Alice, in the back seats with Emmett and Jasper, had her eyes tightly shut, with her elbows on her knees and fingers to her temples. I could see what she saw_—_ blurred hazes of Bella twitching and crying in pain, then turning into an image of Bella, three days later, the beautiful flush of red gone from her pale hard face. Waves of pain broke out inside me, shooting out from my cold heart spreading to the tips of my fingers and toes.

To distract myself from the painful visions that I would _not_ think of as the future, I concentrated on the wonderful memories I had with my love, Bella. Closing my eyes, I thought of our meadow, and how lovely she looked that day. I remembered the warmth I felt when her skin touched mine. I could almost hear her voice, speaking the words that had spilled butterflies in my heart: _"I'm here… which, roughly translated, means I would rather die than stay away from you."_

However, those words brought me back to the present. If she would rather die_—_ I flinched_—_ than stay away from me, then what was she doing right now? I needed to feel her in my arms, to know that she is safe and secure. I had to keep telling myself that we would get there in time, before James would even touch her. I could feel a snarl building up in my throat as I thought of the sadistic vampire's name. The vampire that would soon have to put up with me for having any thoughts against my Bella.

At that moment, the most horrible sound interrupted my own thoughts. The painful echo pierced through my ears, into my heart, and it would haunt me forever. I have never heard this sound before, but I could place the voice from anywhere_—_ Bella's heartbreaking scream filled with pain.

Everyone in the car heard it, and they were all watching me warily with wide eyes, except Alice, who was bawling tearlessly.

"Edward, we are almost there. Please wait a few seconds," Carlisle told me quietly. Still, I could hear the straining of pain in his voice.

Then, I could hear Bella's painful cry clearly, calling out to me, _"No! No, Edward, don't—" _and there was a shattering of glass.

At that moment, a very small part of my mind noted that the car was almost to the dark building, and there was no one around, so I jumped out of the speeding car and ran ahead towards the large, menacing doors of the ballet studio. I could not think about anything—not the wind in my hair as I ran, almost faster than a bullet, or the orange-red sky, as the sun slowly disappeared behind the surrounding houses and buildings and turning the day into twilight. I only had my mind on saving Bella from the danger that was entirely my fault, and silently chanted, _I'm coming, Bella, I'm coming_.

Without bothering to open the doors, I broke through the glass—which felt like nothing but running through feathers—and I saw them.

I saw Bella crumpled on the wooden floor, surrounded by broken pieces of glass and drenched in her own blood. Her eyes were closed, but I could see her fingers twitch ever so slightly.

Then I saw the murderous vampire. His red burgundy eyes met mine, and they had a cruel smugness in them. He was holding Bella's delicate arm in one hand, and her hand in the other. All of these observations happened in all of a quarter of a second.

With me always in his gaze, he quickly lifted Bella's hand toward his glistening teeth. But I was faster.

Releasing a deafening roar filled with hate, I flung myself at him before he sunk his razor sharp teeth in her blood-drenched skin, and wrapped my hands around his throat. His smug smile turned into a fierce snarl. He clung at my hands, trying to unwrap them from his neck. All I could think of was revenge towards him. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to make him wish he never laid hands on my Bella.

Then another hand grabbed my shoulder. I didn't look. My eyes were focused on James, ready to kill him.

"Edward, Jazz and I will take care of him," Emmett said with eagerness. "Come on. Bella and Carlisle need your help."

Bella. Of course. She needed me. She was dying, because of me. I needed to talk to her, to apologize. To tell her that I love her.

In the middle of this, Emmett grasped James's shoulders and took him to the western room, while he thrashed around. Jasper caught his feet, and dragged him through the doors.

I turned around, and I saw my angel distinctly for the first time since I busted through the building doors. She really was drenched in blood, but the red pool around her was growing bigger rapidly. There were pieces of glass everywhere, also tinted red by the blood. Her fingers had stopped twitching, and she was absolutely still.

"Oh no, Bella, no!" I rushed to her side and knelt down next to her. No, she couldn't be gone! Not because of me. "Bella, please! Bella listen to me, please. Please, Bella please!" Every time I called her name, a shot of pain lashed at my now-fragile heart.

"Carlisle!" I called. He would be able to help. Bella is still here. She had to be. I could hear her faint heartbeat, slowing little by little. "Bella, Bella, no, oh please, no, no!" Bella, please open your eyes!

Then Carlisle and Alice were there. Alice stood a few feet away, holding Carlisle's bag, and on the verge of sobs again. Carlisle knelt down next to Bella's head. He had a white cloth in his hand, and pressed it against the back of her head. Blood instantly stained most of the fabric. Suddenly, she gasped, searching for air, and coughed several times. Relief swelled over me.

"Bella!" Oh, she's okay. The uncontrollable sobbing that I did not know was coming from me slowed.

"Ed…ward?" Bella softly called. Even with my powerful ears, I could just barely make out the words.

"Yes, I'm here Bella. I'm so… so sorry." My voice cracked. The sobbing started again, and I could not stop.

At that instant, Carlisle's thoughts, aimed directly for me, stood out from the thoughts of others, quiet and painful. _Edward… I'm so sorry, Edward. She's losing too much blood. She…she won't be able to make it._

In shock, I looked up at Carlisle. He had his eyes closed, his head ducked down. Even Alice started weeping with quiet gasps, as she just saw a vision of what I couldn't believe.

"No." I mouthed. This can't be happening. Suddenly, my world had stopped revolving. The metaphor, "all the time in the world" didn't apply to me anymore. My time was limited. Limited to maybe a few minutes. Every millisecond tore my heart into more and more shattered pieces.

After a century, I had felt happiness. I had smiled and Bella had always reflected it with one of her sunny smiles. I had laughed and Bella would laugh along with me joyously. I had a much stronger reason to live, and that was Bella's heart, with its rhythmic beats always pulling me toward her like a magnet. "No." I whispered again, and I broke down into a hard tearless sob.

"Bella… Can you hear me? I'm so sorry…" I couldn't finish. I carefully caressed her cheek with my trembling hand. Her face was so pale. Her beautiful face. She had to stay with me. I could not lose her because of my mistake.

"Edward." Her voice was the tiniest bit clearer. "Edward, don't be. Don't be sorry." With her eyes closed, she frowned.

Then she opened her eyes, ever so slowly. I saw the depth of those chocolate milk brown eyes again. I felt like I could see through her soul, as she had once said to me. She smiled gently.

"Edward, don't blame this on yourself. And, do me a favor, please," she whispered. Her voice was so frail.

"Anything," I whispered back. Her last request. _No._ I would not—could not—think of it like that. I would just think of it as if it was any other requests of hers. I would have done anything for her. Just like how I would do anything for her now.

"Please," she begged weakly, "Please, be happy, Edward. For your family." I looked back at her, my eyes filled with pain. How could I? How could I smile when Bella wasn't there to reflect it with her own smile? How could I laugh when she wasn't there for me to laugh along with? How could I keep on living when her heart did not beat to pull me towards her?

"For me," she said in a quiet whisper, and her eyes closed. Frightened that her eyes would not open again, I held her face in both of my hands. For her, I would do anything.

"I will, Bella." Please, open your eyes!

And she did. As she opened her eyes, they had just a little bit of sparkle in them. "Promise?" She begged.

"I… I promise," I said with a faltering voice. She smiled. I smiled weakly with her, knowing, and fearing the most that I would not see this smile light up my world again.

"And remember... I love you… always," she breathed. No, no, no. I wasn't ready to let her go. We didn't spend enough time together. A few weeks were not enough. Not for me. How could I have let this happen to her? I would never forgive myself.

Still, I tried to control my sobs for her. I held up her fragile hand, kissed it tenderly, and said, "I _have_ always loved you, I _will_ always love you, and I will _never_ forget you, my dear angel." Those were the truest words I have ever said in my entire existence. I pressed my lips to hers as gently as I could, and she smiled.

Then Bella closed her eyes, and as she did so, a single sparkling tear trailed down her cheek. At the same moment, the heartbeat that I was so attuned to slowed, _thump, thump,_ and then was quiet.

"Sleep now, Bella," I breathed, and I kissed her forehead.


	2. Her View

(First of all, for those of you who never wanted Bella to die, or don't want to read 'what-if's' that shouldn't have been and are going to criticize on that, please stop reading from here. As I have explained, this is just for the people that want to let out a few tears. I just had a feeling that I had to write from Bella's point of view since I already wrote Edwards'. I am only writing this for those who want more, but I promise that after this, there will be a more… positive and happy story about the characters in the novel. Promise.)

** In Mrs. Stephenie Meyer's _Twilight, _you only read Bella's POV while she was mostly conscious and in pain. Well, what would be going on in Bella's mind while she was _un_conscious, and she could hear and feel her heart gradually slowing, little by little? Please keep in mind while reading, if you haven't read my previous chapter,_ Sleep Now, Bella_, that Edward stopped James from biting Bella. But will Edward get to Bella in time to hear what she really wants from him? Emotional people, you might want to gather your tissues. Please review, and I accept _nice_ criticisms to improve my writing. I do _not_ own anything from Stephenie Meyer, and the italicized sentences below are picked out from _Twilight_; they are not written by me.**

BPOV (Bella's POV)

_Terror seized me so strongly that I was literally trapped by it._

_I couldn't breathe; exertion and fear had gotten the best of me._

_I wanted so badly to run, but I was frozen; I couldn't even flinch away._

_There was pain coming, I could see it in his eyes._

_I stared at him in horror._

_My knees began to shake, and I was afraid I was going to fall._

_I couldn't help myself—I tried to run; he was in front of me in a flash._

_I was too stunned to feel the pain. I couldn't breathe yet._

_Let it be quick now, was all I could hope._

_With my last effort, my hand instinctively raised to protect my face; my eyes closed, and I drifted._

It seems like an out-of-body experience. I know my physical body is unconscious; still, I can think to myself. I can think about the last few painful minutes, the pitch-black eyes bordered by a hint of crimson red staring back at me with eagerness and cruelty, but most of all, thirst. In my mind, I flinch from the replay, and try to distract myself from it. I know I'm about to die, so I decide that I should leave with peaceful memories about things I loved about my life. My thoughts immediately drift to my carefree days with Edward. Thinking about his glorious face, his topaz eyes, his breathtaking crooked smile, makes me internally grin. I'm remembering the way his marble face felt cool and smooth under my fingertips; remembering the way he looked at me from under his long eyelashes with his liquid golden eyes; remembering how every time he flashed his shining white teeth through his beautiful uneven grin, it would make the rest of the world spin around us both, because we would be in our own little universe together.

As I am having my rerun of the past few weeks of my life, I realize I may have had a better life than anyone who has lived even up to a hundred years old—just because of those days that felt like they would never have ended. I'm satisfied with the way I would leave my life now—treasuring the memories I've had. Smiling again from within myself, I begin to reminisce each day I spent with Edward—the day he showed me his secret meadow, the day he played me my heart-melting lullaby on his grand piano, every night he spent in my room. I can't imagine how my life would have gotten any better than what it already was.

All of a sudden, my tranquil thoughts are interrupted, and my body—which was numb the whole time I was unconscious—sends new pain signals to my brain. I try to ignore them at first, and go back to the colorful memories. But soon after, even more pain hits my body, and this time, it's more intense, and I can't ignore it. I wonder if this is what it feels like when your heart finally stops. Like someone is holding a pillow against my face, trying to suffocate me, being run over by a train, and being stabbed again and again with a knife. Then I wonder about how long the torture would last. I don't know how much time has passed since my body lost consciousness. I count my heartbeats to try to keep my mind off the pain, and the counting is getting slower, with longer and longer breaks between every count. It's barely noticeable. Just barely.

After what seemed like hours, my body begins to regain consciousness. I can begin to smell, feel, and hear my surroundings. I smell the blood that makes my stomach churn, and I feel cool gentle hands brushing my matted hair off of my forehead and wiping my sweat and blood. Then I hear my angel's voice. The voice of whom I was thinking about while slowly drifting away.

"Oh no, Bella, no!" Edward cries in agony.

_Don't worry, Edward_, I want to tell him, _I'm okay._ I can't find my voice, or my lips. I'm lost in my own body. I'm too tired.

"Bella, please! Bella, listen to me, please! Please, Bella, please!" He begs. I can't resist. I try one more time. I think I let out a tiny whimper, but I can't be sure.

Away from me, Edward calls out, "Carlisle!" Then, my head is cradled gently into cold hands, and the sharp, stabbing pain in my scalp increases.

I hear him again, with strained words, "Bella, Bella, no! Oh, please, no, no!" His smooth voice breaks at my name, and I hear him sob uncontrollably.

This was too much. Again, I try to make even a small sound from my mouth to let him know I'm here. I gather the little strength I have in me to find my lips. As soon as my mouth parts, I find air, and instead of letting out a quiet moan, I gasp and cough as air filled my lungs.

"Bella!" Edward's voice spills over with relief. His weeping quiets by a little.

"Edward…." I try to mumble out, but it sounds slurred.

"Yes, I'm here, Bella. I'm so… so sorry." The sobbing starts again, and I can't bear the sound of it. I could hear the heartbreaking pain in his gasps. I have never heard him so tormented with so much misery.

Then in between his gasps, he quietly breathes out, "No." His sobs are muffled, but behind his hand—which he was covering his mouth with, as far as I could tell—he bawls even harder than he had before, breaking my heart. His agony is my own, too.

"Bella… Can you hear me? I'm so sorry…." He apologizes again in between gasps.

Why is he keep saying sorry? This is all my fault. I'm the one who put all his family in danger. I'm the one they were risking their lives to protect. Just me, a plain, average human. I have to tell Edward this isn't his fault, and that he needs to forgive himself. I try my hardest to make my voice sound firm.

"Edward." My voice still comes out quietly, but clearer than before. "Edward, don't be. Don't be sorry." And I frown, as if it would make the toughness more pronounced. He's silent, except for the soft sobs. I have to see his face when I say this. He has to see my eyes to know that I'm more serious than ever. I ignore the heaviness of my lids as I open them slowly.

I squint, even though there's barely any light, except for the moonlight shining through the small arched windows. And I see Edward's godlike face again, which was managing to sparkle faintly without the sun. I see the golden brown eyes staring back at mine, but his filled with pain. This look gives me determination. I _would_ replace his pain with the gentleness and light humor that he always had before. Then I remember Alice's words from one day in the hotel: _It's been almost a century that Edward's been alone. Now he's found you. You can't see the changes that we see, we who have been with him for so long. Do you think any of us want to look into his eyes for the next hundred years if he loses you? _As soon as I remember that, I try to forget it. I look Edward in his eyes.

"Edward, don't blame this on yourself," I told him. It doesn't seem like enough, so I try a different plan. "And, do me a favor, please." If there is one definite thing I know about Edward, it is how selfless he is, and how hard he always tries to please others.

"Anything," He softly whispers back, but his eyes are determined.

"Please," I beg in a weak voice, "Please, be happy, Edward. For your family." I look deep into his eyes, trying to comprehend his thoughts. His eyes remind me of a man being burned alive; I can't bear looking into them.

"For me," I add, then I close my eyes, trying to erase the comparison of Edward and the burning man. I hope for his reply.

"I will, Bella," He says in a gentle but frantic voice. And I feel his cool hands on both sides of my face. They don't feel as cold as usual—or maybe my own skin is just colder than normal right now.

My slowly-beating heart jumps a little, but I have to make sure he isn't just saying it. I open my eyes again, hoping to see that same determination in his eyes.

"Promise?" I beg, and I add a tiny smile.

"I… I promise," He assures me in a faltering voice. Some of the light in his eyes return. I smile slightly wider in response, and he smiles along with me. I feel like I am at peace now.

Suddenly I feel so much more tired. I feel like the air is weighing me down. I try my hardest to keep my eyes open and my lips smiling. Then I muster up the rest of my breath and my voice to say the most important words that are all that really matter.

"Remember, Edward… I love you… always," It comes out in no more than a breath. Then I added to myself, _more than my own life._

He swallows, his jaw clenches, then unclenches, and then he lifts my hand up to his face, and presses it to his lips gently. "I _have_ always loved you, I _will_ always love you, and I will _never_ forget you, my dear angel," he says passionately.

And even as he leaned his head down towards mine, I can't feel the hotness that I'm waiting for to flood my cheeks. Finally, his hard lips tenderly kiss mine, and in just that one second, all the memories I have gone over earlier, while I was laying here unconscious, rapidly flashes before my eyes. I feel my lips' corners lift upward just as he pulls away.

As I am sorry to see the wonderful days already gone by, my eye releases a teardrop, and I did not feel it trail down my cheek.


	3. Perspective

_[[ I've decided to continue the story, thanks to the wonderful reviews. I hope you enjoy, and next chapter will be up by either tonight or tomorrow. ]]_

I look around, confused, just a little afraid. Everything is bright, and for a second, I'm blinded by the intense light. Slowly, my eyes adjust.

This is disorienting. I'm in the same room as I was in before. But this time, I'm not looking up towards the wooden ceiling; instead, I'm almost looking down, at an angle. I'm looking at the three bodies in the ballet studio. Seeing my own body surprises me.

Edward still has both his hands on either side of my face. He just stares blankly at my expressionless visage. And that's all he does for a few minutes. Somehow, I hear the silence inside his head with the absence of any thoughts, including his own. His thumbs involuntarily circle my cheeks slowly. He does not breathe.

Carlisle quietly sets my head down on the floor with a blood-drenched towel cushioning it, squeezes Edward's shoulder once, and drifts out the back door, where Jasper, Emmett, and Alice are waiting.

Outside, Jasper holds little Alice in his arms as she weeps nonexistent tears into his chest uncontrollably. Emmett leans against the brick wall with his head hung down, his arms tightly crossed. He sees Carlisle walk out into the darkness, sees the heaviness in his eyes, and takes a step towards the doorway. Carlisle holds up a hand.

"Give him some time," he whispers.

"God, Edward must be…." Emmett can't find a word. He sympathetically shakes his head, running a hand through his curly hair.

"Let him be alone for now."

* ~ * ~ *

Back in the gloomy building, Edward is still dazed. I feel the thick fog of confusion and surreality in his mind, filling up his head. He is motionless on his knees except for his hands, unconsciously caressing my cheeks, for the longest time in the world.

"_Be happy__.__"_ My words echo in his head, ringing loudly. _Bella._ His eyes close. _I'm sorry._

And he breaks down. Shuddering sobs escape from his throat. One of his trembling hands moves up and pushes my damp hair back. _My fault__…_

I want to reach out and touch his face. I want to wrap my arms around him and tell him I'm alright. But there's a transparent, impenetrable veil between my hands and Edward's body—and anything else from that other world. I'm in an invisible bubble.

'_Edward… I'm so sorry, Edward. She's losing too much blood. She won't be able to make it…'_Carlisle's thoughts from before repeat over and over again in his head.

Now I feel the same devastation and helplessness that Edward had felt when he heard those words from Carlisle. But he won't be like this forever. I have to believe that. After all, he promised.

* ~ * ~ *

Alice's wails are slower and quieter, more like whimpers. Her face is nestled against Jasper's chest. _I've seen her changed, though…_ she thinks to herself. I see for myself what she saw. The face I see does not look like mine at first. The pale skin, bright red eyes, shiny dark brown hair flowing around my head. But it's definitely the changed vision of me, of vampire Bella. It seems strange; not like looking at a mirror, but I still see myself in the beautiful face.

_We would have been sisters__, best friends..__._ And another illusion of the future flashes through Alice's head and in front of my eyes. She drags me through a crowded mall, holding tons of shopping bags, both of our arms linked together. But that's all I see of her vision.

Because suddenly, I see Alice, Jasper, and me waiting in an airport for someone. This airport is familiar… I'm sitting next to Alice, and Jasper is standing. I see myself handing her something... it's white, and flat. "My letter," I say. She nods, and carefully puts it away in her bag.

The flashback from earlier this morning cuts off, and Alice catches her breath. Startled, Jasper asks, "Alice? What's wrong?"

Emmett and Carlisle look over with a worried look, but don't say or do anything. She doesn't answer. Her eyes are wide, staring off into space. Then she grabs Jasper's wrist and bolts towards the stolen car in front of the building. Trying not to break the door open, she reaches over to her purse, rummaging through it. She finds what she was looking for: my letter for Edward. The envelope shakes in her quavering hand.

* ~ * ~ *

_Perhaps it would have been better to change her…_And he immediately pushes that thought away. _How could I…the pain it would have caused her…not worth easing my own._ Edward... If I could have gone through only three days of the pain just to avoid seeing you go through this, I would have taken it easily, without hesitation. It's only three days; I don't know how long it will be until you can finally be yourself again.

Edward bawls for almost the rest of the night. Sometimes he would brush my hair with his fingers, sometimes he would gently stroke my hand, but he does it all without thinking about it, sobbing and gasping miserably. Just when it seems like he's finally calmed down, another flashback brings him another round of dry tears. I watch him in agony, hoping it would be over very soon.

* ~ * ~ *

That night, three different beings were inside that ballet studio: one half-living, one dead, and one spirit. The half-living one mourning the dead one, and the spirit watching over the half-living. But that first part will change. The second part, however, nothing can change that. It's my turn to be your guardian angel. I will watch over you, Edward, I promise.


	4. Impulse

** I do not own any of Stephenie Meyer's characters. The entry italicized below is entirely from her book. **

Rare, dark gray clouds blanket the skies of Phoenix as dawn tries to break through. The concealed sun reddens the clouds by a bit, but that's all it manages to do to make itself known to the world. Rain drips from the clouds, making their way down to the earth.

A few drops slip through a crack in the ceiling of the ballet studio and falls, landing on bronze-colored disheveled hair.

Edward's eyes are closed. He doesn't want to see my pale, dead face. He wants to believe everything was just a horrible nightmare. He believes that once he opens his eyes, he will have to accept everything that happened.

He's lost all hope. I don't know why he can't feel my presence near him. But I'm here, Edward, don't you feel that? I'm still here. Once again, I try to reach over to him, to touch him and let him know that he's not alone, but the invisible film prevents my fingers from going any farther.

Is it the veil, then? Is that the wall between Edward and me, holding me back from touching him, and blocking the feeling of my presence from him? All I can do is watch the world underneath me, and do absolutely nothing about it. How helpless.

* ~ * ~ *

"_Edward,_

_I love you. I am so sorry. He has my mom, and I have to try. I know it may not work. I am so very, very sorry.  
Don't be angry with Alice and Jasper. If I get away from them it will be a miracle. Tell them thank you for me. Alice especially, please.  
And please, please don't come after him. That's what he wants, I think. I can't bear it if anyone has to be hurt because of me, especially you. Please, this is the only thing I can ask you now. For me.  
I love you. Forgive me._

_Bella."_

Alice drops the letter and covers her mouth. If it had been possible, her face would have been streaming with tears. Jasper picks up the paper and wraps his arms around Alice again. _She was tricked into coming here._ She feels a sudden surge of hate towards James. Jasper calms her down by using his power and stroking her hair.

"Should we show him?" Alice asks Jasper quietly when she is able to talk.

Jasper contemplates for a while, his forehead creasing. Exhaling, he replies, "It's probably the right thing to do. Maybe it might help him."

Alice simply nods, but doesn't move. She tries to see how Edward would react if she showed him the letter. All she sees is him clenching his fists, almost shredding the paper into pieces. But she also knows Edward well enough to know that he would want to read this, no matter how painful.

As for me, however, I don't know if this will be a good thing. I have no idea what to expect from Edward when he finishes reading my letter. I just hope he won't do anything harsh to anyone, or more importantly, himself.

* ~ * ~ *

Edward flinches as Alice gently puts her hand on his slightly arched back. He did not hear her at all, not her light footsteps, not even her thoughts. Jasper stands outside, ready to calm anyone who needs it.

"Edward," Alice whispers.

Without a choice, Edward opens his eyes slightly, but keeps his gaze anywhere but at me.

"Yes, Alice?" He murmurs.

Alice sets down the folded letter on the floor next to him. "I think you should read it." And she silently glides away. _Please,__let this be the right thing to do. _I hope for the same thing, too.

Edward looks over to the letter. He hesitates, judging how important Alice thought this would be. But Alice would know. She would have seen his reaction, and if it wasn't good, then she wouldn't have given it to him.

He knows that he would probably regret this. But his hand reaches over, feeling for the folded piece of paper. He doesn't pick it up. _Stay calm,_ he thinks to himself. Still, he can't promise himself that. Without a single breath, he slowly holds up the letter, unfolding it carefully.

As he recognizes my handwriting instantly, the letter suddenly feels awfully heavy in his hands, somehow weighing down his heart. He reads his name, and closes his eyes. He hears my voice calling him over and over again. He swallows, and tries to read the letter once again.

I scrutinize Edward's face concernedly. His eyes are pained, shadowed under his eyebrows, his lips are pressed together, his jaws are tightly clenched. The letter shakes in his hands, but he can't seem to let go of it.

With his eyes closed, a million questions run through his mind, and I hear them, but not just because I can hear anyone else's thoughts. I hear them, because they are directed right at me.

_Bella, how long did you know that you were going to end up like this?_

_Bella, didn't you know better than to believe him?_

_Bella, was this letter your way of saying your last goodbyes to me?_

Each question catches me off guard and I realize that I would not have been able to answer him, even if I had been sitting right there next to him. Every one of my actions was so… impulsive. At the time, all I could think about was saving my mother—and Edward. But I did not expect Edward's pain to be so miserable. And his pain was my fault.

But you promised. You promised that you would be happy. And I believed you. I still believe you, because you are always true to your words. You'll find a way, I know it.

Then, unexpectedly, Edward opens his eyes and crumples the paper in his hands. Some red is smeared on it, from holding my bloodied hand all night long. He pushes himself off the ground, onto his feet, and there is anger in his eyes. No, not anger. Vengeance.

Edward bolts out of the building in unimaginable speed, breaking through a window. Carlisle and Emmett are startled, and before they can do anything else, Edward is already far beyond their sight.

I see him dart through dark alleys to avoid other strangers, a ghostly bullet speeding towards sure tragedy.

_[ I want to thank everyone for reading this far, and for those who took the time to review it. I hope you liked it so far, and I'll try to have the next chapter up by tonight! ]_


	5. Run

_[[ Thanks for reading this far! I already have the next chapter written; it will be up in a few hours after it is edited. Please review and share your thoughts, I would greatly appreciate it. I will accept nice criticisms to improve my writing. I do not own Stephenie Meyer's story or characters. Thanks & Enjoy! ]]_

Watching in horror, I see him running north towards Forks. And I know who he's looking for. The face is all he sees in a tint of red. The pale-white face, deathly red eyes, and the wild fiery hair. He doesn't see the tall building walls flying by him. He doesn't see the trees flashing by in a blur.

I panic. He's going to get himself hurt, I know it. I can't let him do this. Over and over again, constantly, I do whatever I can to stop him. I try to grab him with my unfeeling hands without success. I try to break through the thick veil and appear in front of him. Nothing works; it's impossible.

Edward, stop! Please, don't do this! I scream the words at him the loudest I can, but no sound comes out.

* ~ * ~ *

"Yes, Carlisle?"

All of them—Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice—were chasing after Edward, pushing themselves forward to try to catch up to him.

"Rosalie, where are you?" Carlisle talks urgently into his phone.

"Somewhere in Oregon. The woman broke into the school a few days ago, but we don't know what she's been looking for. We followed her down here."

_She must be trying to get to Phoenix._ "Don't lose sight of her, Rosalie."

Rosalie recognizes the anxious tone in Carlisle's voice, but doesn't question it. "Don't worry."

Carlisle presses a button on his phone to end the call. Instead of closing it shut, he dials a new number and puts it up to his ear, waiting, hoping.

* ~ * ~ *

It takes Edward a few long seconds to realize that there's a faint buzzing in his pocket. Detached from his mind, he pulls out the small phone, and looks at the number on the front screen. Without hesitation, he takes the battery off the phone and throws it on the ground, leaving the broken pieces of metal behind.

Despair washes over me. I had been sure that Edward's father would have talked him into coming back home. To stop all this nonsense. And Edward would have listened, eventually.

He runs all day, never slowing down, and no matter how hard I try, nothing is able to stop him.

I suffer with Edward throughout the day and night, praying that he would come back to his senses. Yet he runs nonstop, with an almost blank mind.

I remember when I was mounted on his back, my head tucked under my tightly hooked arms around his neck, and how it felt to have the wind blowing my hair back, to feel Edward's breath, slow and relaxing. He laughed so freely that day. But that day was the day that changed everything.

And now, running through the woods dodging trees, his breathing is anything but slow and relaxing. Sometimes his breaths come in hard and miserable gasps, and sometimes snarls escape from his throat whenever he thinks of Victoria.

Suddenly, Edward stops in his tracks. He blinks once, and takes a whiff at the air. _That's her._

No! Don't, Edward! Then I freeze, too.

I see Edward in a small meadow, standing in the moonlight. His back is rigid, his hands clenched in fists, and he resembles a statue. He's trying to figure out which way her scent would lead him to. But he doesn't know that the vampire is watching him at that very moment, concealed in the dark shadows behind the trees. He can't see or hear her, not even her thoughts.

Her burgundy eyes glint in the faint light with thirst. It's not thirst for blood, though—it's thirst for action, for challenge. Her body is crouched down, the same cat-like pose she had when she, James, and Laurent intruded the baseball game.

Then, as fast as only a vampire can move, Victoria springs out from the trees letting out a high-pitched snarl, her hands outstretched towards Edward, who is completely unaware.


	6. Discovery

_[[ As I have said before, I do not own any of Stephenie Meyer's creations. I hope you enjoyed the story so far, and I would love it if you could take the time to review. I will try to have the next chapter will be up either later tonight, so 'alert' this story. Thank you! ]]_

NO, Edward!

I throw myself in front of Edward using all my strength—even more than I thought I had before. Although I'm not able to break through entirely, I somehow make the veil take form of a barrier around his body, protecting him.

Edward whirls around just in time to see Victoria slam against my invisible wall, her cold hard claws almost denting it. She collapses to the ground, and both vampires' faces—and mine—are frozen in shock.

Half a second later, Victoria leaps back up on her feet. She faces Edward, several yards away. A corner of her lips is turned up menacingly, tauntingly. No words are exchanged; all the communication takes place between their hateful glares. Edward blocks Victoria's thoughts completely.

Finally, she speaks. "Hello... Edward, wasn't it?" Her voice is sweet and pleasant, fake.

He bears his teeth but says nothing.

"So nice to see you again. I see that your human girlfriend isn't with you." She lets out a short chuckle. She detects the pain that flickers in Edward's eyes, a perfect distraction. She straightens up a bit.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she continues mockingly. "She _isn't_ here. At all." She sneers. Edward's fists tighten.

"You must have loved her _so much_ to do whatever you could to save her. Or try to. Too bad she just kept running away from all of that, right?" That catches me off-guard. "Running away to James, knowing what was waiting for her. And now running to the afterlife, or whatever the _humans_ have after they die. No, she didn't want to live forever. That's what you believe—that when _we_ die, it's over for us." She pauses, cocking her head to the side. "Poor Edward. You can't be with her. Ever again."

Edward can't hold himself up. He crumples to the ground on his knees in that small meadow, the moonlight on his back, a terribly weak and vulnerable prey. He breaks into shuddering sobs, unable to stop himself. _It's not worth it._

Edward, get up! You can't do this! I want to shake him, pull him back up on his feet; to remind him of his last promise to me.

Victoria smiles hugely now. She slowly circles Edward. "Don't worry, Edward. You won't have to suffer much longer; I'll make sure of that." She chuckles again.

She is behind Edward now, and she crouches down again. Edward doesn't even care anymore. He _wants_ her to attack him. I hope deeply that my invisible wall would still protect him. I try to thicken it, standing behind it with Edward in my little circle. Every second is precious to me.

With an eager, crazed look in her eyes, Victoria pounces, and it's slow-motion from there.

Just like before, her hands are reaching out in front of her, an image of a graceful panther. Her wild hair flies behind her. I brace myself. And just when her hands are an inch away from Edward's shirt collar, another pair of strong hands grabs her by the waist and throws her into the trees.

Emmett goes after her—the ultimate rescue—a fierce growl escaping his throat. Alice appears after him, kneeling down next to Edward.

"Edward," she says softly. "How can you do this to yourself?"

* ~ * ~ *

A huge fire now burns in front of Emmett, consuming the broken pieces of a body. He watches the hungry flames lick the dark night sky, heavy smoke rising up to build thick pillars, dirtying the clear heavens.

"Hey," an alluring voice calls out to him quietly—a voice he did not hear for at least a week or two.

He turns around to see Rosalie walking towards him like an angel sent from heaven, the light from the fire flickering on her glowing face. He holds out his hand with a small smile; she takes it. Without any spoken words, they stare off into the fire in deep thought.

* ~ * ~ *

He heard someone moan, somewhere from the other side of the woods.

"Jasper, you should go with Alice," Carlisle orders.

Jasper nods and runs to where they saw Alice disappear. The voice screams a painful wail; it's a female's voice. Esme tugs on her husband's hand and they look for the woman.

They don't go far before Carlisle sees a shape in the distance. He can recognize the agonized pleas of the human. They go up to her, kneeling beside the body, which was writhing in immense pain.

"She's bitten," Carlisle says.

"Probably by Victoria." Esme holds the woman's hand, trying to soothe her.

In actuality, the girl did not seem to be more than twenty years old, maybe nineteen. But all I could concentrate on was her pain. In her mind, she wished for nothing more than death to end it all; they echoed Edward's thoughts perfectly.

"Esme, I will take her to Forks," Carlisle told her. He carried the girl in his arms easily. "Bring Edward home."


	7. Gift

"My name is Mackenzie Curtis; everyone calls me Maisie," the new vampire shyly tells the handsome doctor and his beautiful wife standing in front of her. Just like every other vampire, she has smooth and pale skin, a beautiful figure, and stunning red eyes as a newborn. Her long hair is straight and a very dark shade of mahogany, slung over her shoulders.

"Well, Maisie, I know how incredibly confused you must be at this moment," Carlisle gently tells her. "But you must believe me when I say this." He looks into her wide eyes. "There are mythical creatures in this world. They blend into their surroundings everywhere, living to keep from exposing themselves to the human world."

"You're vampires," she states blankly.

This startles Carlisle and Esme. Who is this girl? What and how does she know about vampires? "Yes… and you are, too, unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your perspective. How did you know about us?"

Maisie takes a deep breath. "I stumbled across some books. It was really interesting. But I never would have dreamed that vampires would ever be able to hide themselves, remain unexposed. The speed and strength, and beauty and immortality, of course." She pauses. "This is kind of freaky, if you ask me."

Carlisle smiles slightly. "Well, there is much more to talk about, but we must take care of more important things, I'm afraid. Your thirst, for example. It must be quite intense."

"Erm, yeah, actually," Maisie swallows and shifts nervously on the couch. "Do I have to, you know, kill someone for blood?"

"There are other options. It may not be as appealing to you, but it saves a human life," Carlisle chuckles.

Esme delicately takes Maisie's hand. "Trust me, dear. I won't hurt you." Her compassion and kind smile gives the girl confidence in her, and she leads her out to hunt.

Alice comes down the stairs slowly.

"How is Edward doing?" Carlisle asks her, but the worried look on her face answers him. She shakes her head slowly.

"Will she stay with us?" Alice nods at the door, changing the subject.

"If she wishes to."

* ~ * ~ *

Edward rubs his eyes. He remembers my voice. _Be happy for your family. For me._ It echoes in his head. _I promised. I'll keep my promise, Bella. I'll try._

Those words melt my heart, and I feel as if a ton of weight is lifted from my shoulders. I know that it would take some time, but he will heal. I have to believe that.

* ~ * ~ *

By the time Esme comes back with Maisie, still holding her hand just as she had when they left, sunlight faintly shines through the clouds. The newborn's irises are still crimson red, but not as bright as before.

Alice and Carlisle rise up from the couch, waiting for them.

"Hi, Maisie." Alice smiles slightly.

"Hi," Maisie politely says. "Alice, right?"

Alice nods sweetly and leads her to sit next to her on the couch. Esme and Carlisle sit across from them.

"Now," Carlisle begins. "Maisie, ever since you've been changed, did you maybe… feel anything? Anything out of the ordinary? Some sort of power?"

"Besides the speed and strength?" She lets out a short laugh, and then thinks for a second. "Well… I kind of had this before, except it's a lot clearer now. Does that count?"

Carlisle leans in, interested. "What is it?"

"I can't really be sure. I think I can see or feel… _spirits_." She makes a face, then smiles. "I saw my dad. Well, I didn't actually _see _him. They're all like a misty figure. But I know it was him. There are faint glows from the mists, but I _feel_ them; they're all different. And I felt him."

Alice's eyebrows rise and Esme's eyes widen, making Maisie feel uncomfortable for a second.

"Fascinating," Carlisle marvels. "I've never heard of that before."

I'm bewildered. She can see me. Can't she? Or is there more than one spirit even here in this room? I look around, but I only see what everyone else—besides Maisie—can see.

"Is he here with you in this room?" Carlisle questions.

Maisie looks to the side and grins. "Yes. Just before he died, he promised that he would never leave me. In fact, there are always spirits around. They're just _there._ It's really spooky."

_[So that was the introduction to the new character, and she plays a big part of this story. I will reveal a lot more about her in the next few chapters. Please review, they really help me keep writing. Thanks to everyone! ]_


	8. Light

_[[ Thank you to _everyone_ who has read, reviewed and/or faved this story! It really means a lot to me. Again, I do not own _Twilight_ or any of Stephenie Meyer's creations. Enjoy! ]]_

Carlisle opens his mouth to ask more questions, but his three sons walk into the house along with Rosalie, coming back from a quick hunt—the main goal being to cheer Edward up a bit.

"Ah, here is the rest of my family," Carlisle stands up and gestures towards them. "This is Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Edward. Everyone, this is Mackenzie Curtis." They smile welcomingly; Edward only watches her.

Then, a miraculous thing happens: he tries to lift the corners of his lips up, giving her a small smile and a nod, keeping me in mind. I am grinning so hugely that I feel like sunlight is pouring out from between my teeth. Esme and Carlisle also see this, and they smile along, though they try to hide it. Alice doesn't try to hide her wide grin at all. She wants to skip up to Edward and wrap her arms around him, but she stays by Maisie's side.

"Maisie," She quietly corrects. "You can call me Maisie."

Emmett speaks up. "Hey, Maisie. Welcome to the family." Almost being his normal self, he steps forward and lifts her up with his bulging arms in one of his huge bear hugs.

Maisie's face is shocked, and she lets out a small squeak. "Emmett!" Esme scolds him, but she still smiles.

Chortling, Emmett sets the girl down as she giggles.

"Wait, what do you mean by family?" She asks.

"Every one of us came from different places, changed at different times; some of us centuries apart," Carlisle explains to her. "There are many vampire covens out there, but very few that live as we do—living off the blood of animals instead of humans. It is your choice as to which life you would like to live from now on. If you choose to join our family we will welcome you with wide open arms; if you decide to look for others, or maybe just wander alone, that is fine with us also."

"Oh," Maisie simply says. She considers her choices, biting on her lip. When her decision is made in only a matter of minutes, she looks up and smiles. "Well, you people seem extremely nice. And I really have nowhere else to go." She shrugs. "Wouldn't know what to do."

Esme puts her arm around Maisie's shoulder and says, "That's wonderful. Welcome to the family."

The Cullens gather around her, making her feel welcome and comfortable, laughing and making small jokes. But Edward is already in his room, standing with his back against his door.

_I'm trying_. He tells me. I trust him. Edward always keeps his word.

He thinks of the way he tried to smile downstairs. To him, it had seemed so wrong to do it—a distortion of the face. Now, as he thinks back, he sees the complete change of the mood of his family when they saw him make an effort. It was like the whole room lit up.

Waking up from his long and depressed reverie, he notices how silent it is inside his head. He doesn't hear any thoughts; just the cheerful voices from downstairs. He frowns, trying to listen to someone's mind. It's still quiet. _Might as well enjoy the silence for once, _he thinks. For some reason, the total mute inside his head besides his own thoughts bothers him.

He slowly walks up to his large CD collection. Flipping through his music, he finds a French album of classical music and slips it into his stereo. Of course, the first song that begins to play is "Claire de Lune."

Hearing the peaceful tunes of the piano, Edward feels emotionally tired once again. He sinks down sitting on his golden carpet, leans against the huge window, and closes his eyes. Concentrating on the drift of the music, he thinks back to the last time he listened to the song.

It was a rainy day. He was driving. I was in the passenger seat. He was taking me home, after the biology blood test lab. Edward surprises himself with the fact that the memory doesn't hurt him. Instead he feels relaxed, calm, trying to block out the past few days.

A cheerful rhythm of knocks on his door makes Edward open his eyes.

Alice opens the door, sticking her head inside. She smiles a bit warily and walks in. Maisie follows behind her.

"I wanted to introduce the both of you, since you weren't down there for the whole welcoming party," Alice clarifies.

Maisie stands by the door, unsure of what to do. Alice pulls her in by the wrist. "Don't be shy; he doesn't bite."

"I'm sorry about my behavior earlier, Maisie. I truly am glad that you are now a part of our family," Edward says. It is the first full sentence he has spoken in a long time.

"No, it's okay, I understand," she replies, then almost immediately regrets saying it, but Edward just smiles once again, now nearly a natural response.

"Aw, look at him, he's thrilled."

Edward puts on an annoyed look on his face for Alice, and that is when both she and I know that he is almost back to his normal self. Alice giggles. "I need to go hunt with Carlisle. You two should talk." And she flits out of the room, closing the door behind her.

_Edward, she sees spirits, okay? That's what she can do. She _might_ be able to see her,_ Alice tries to tell Edward, unaware that his mind-reading power is defective at the moment.

"Um, I didn't mean to interrupt whatever you were doing," Maisie uncomfortably apologizes, glancing once at the stereo.

Edward shakes his head. "I know Alice dragged you in here; it may take a while for you to get used to her." Another small smile.

She breathes out a laugh. "She seems really sweet." She pauses for a second, tucking a strand of dark red hair behind her ear. "You know, not trying to lecture you or anything, but my mom used to be a therapist. It sounds really corny but... it really does help to talk. I'm not saying to me necessarily, but you know... the whole 'let it out' kind of thing." She gives him a smile and turns to leave.

Edward knows what she is talking about. "Maybe," he murmurs. He thinks about it, wondering if he is ready for it. _Who will it benefit? What if it brings back the memories, more terrifying than before? I'm already trying hard enough_. Then he knows that she's right: he needs to let it out.

_[[ In the next chapter, you will get to know Maisie a lot better. Thanks for reading! Review, Fave, Alert? (Next chapter will be up tonight!) ]]_


	9. Restriction

_[[ Sorry, correction: You will get to know Maisie better in the _next _chapter. Thanks for reading so far, and enjoy this one! ]]_

"I was changed in 1918 by Carlisle. In all those years, nearly a century, never before had anyone—let alone a human—triggered this… unbelievably strong feeling inside of me. In the beginning, this certain emotion, if that was what it was, confused me. What did it mean? Who was this girl and why was she so different from the others? These questions and such would keep my mind tumbling, trying to find at least one answer."

Maisie sits on Edward's black leather couch, her hands folded on her lap. Edward still leans against the window-wall, telling her of his story, his eyes closed.

"When it became obvious that I would not be able to answer myself, I forced myself to muster up all my courage to talk to her. It wasn't the shyness or the anxiety of a typical high school crush that tried to hold me back; it was just something about this girl. Something told me from deep inside that there would be no turning back from her, from whatever it was about her.

"She said her name was Bella," he swallows. I flutter at the sound of my name coming from his lips. At that moment, Maisie glances over at me for the tiniest fraction of a second before averting her eyes back on Edward, hoping he didn't notice. He goes on.

"When she said her name, it was like all my questions have been resolved—that was the feeling—but later, I was never able to remember what the answers were. When she spoke to me, all my years before meant nothing. The day I met her was the day I began to really live for the first time.

"But there were obstacles, burdens that came along with this unfamiliar but overwhelming sensation. The blood that ran in her veins tortured me, testing my self-control greatly. No one may ever know of the conflicts inside of me, the torment it had been. It was she, out of all the other humans I have ever encountered, who changed my entire being forever at just one 'hello,' and in many ways. It most definitely could not have been a mere coincidence that just this one human girl became a source of such a clash of all these different yet potent feelings; it must have been fate."

Edward opens his mouth to say more, but nothing comes out except an exhausted breath. He shakes his head and rubs his eyes. "I'd been able to read minds," he suddenly says, "but it's like she took a part of me away with her. It's like I've completely lost myself."

Why can't he feel me near him yet? Tell him! I try to say to Maisie. Tell him I'm here! She hears me, but she remembers what Alice had told her before: "_If Edward doesn't mention your ability, don't say anything just yet."_ She bites her bottom lip, knowing that she has to say something.

"I'm sorry," she murmurs simply, meaningfully. She can't find anything else to say.

Edward lifts his head from his hands and meets her sympathetic eyes, something else he hadn't been able to do. "Thank you for listening. It really did help a bit."

* ~ * ~ *

"Alice, don't you think Edward should know about my… power?" Maisie asks.

Alice glances over at her sitting in the passenger seat, and then back at the road in front of her, shaking her head. "Not yet."

The two newly met sisters are on their way to New York to shop—Alice's way of sisterly bonding, of course, not to mention the fact that she just had to snatch the opportunity to fill up a whole new wardrobe for Maisie.

They are both silent for a few moments until suddenly, Alice turns towards her with wide eyes. "Hold on... Did you see... _her_?"

The car swerves an inch before Alice grips both hands on the wheel with a little bit more force than necessary. She parks the car on the right side of the quiet freeway.

Maisie nods. "I guess I never really noticed how much she was bonded to Edward until he told me about her yesterday. She used to never leave his side, but sometimes she wanders. Like right now."

"You mean— What, she's actually here? She can hear us and everything?" Alice speaks too fast, excitedly.

I smile. Maisie's smile mirrors mine, answering Alice.

She looks around, suddenly cautious, but frantic at the same time. "Bella?" she whispers.

I laugh, and somehow, Alice feels it—though not nearly as strongly as Maisie does, but still.

"You were really good friends with her," Maisie suddenly realizes.

"Almost sisters. Though I have no idea how that happened," Alice says, still in wonder. Her voice cracks, and her eyes feel dry and uncomfortable. "I felt her just now. How come I couldn't feel her before?"

"I think… Maybe it's because once you knew that she was here, you could feel her presence. Maybe that's why Edward doesn't know she's here. He believes that she's completely gone."

"Well, this changes everything," Alice's voice gets high and fast again. "If Edward knows for sure that she's here—" She pauses. "Why doesn't he know? I thought you said that you saw her while he was talking to you."

Maisie is confused for a second, but then catches up. "He told me that he _used _to be able to read minds. It seems like it's his grieving that's getting in the way of it."

"I never thought he would be able to get through it all," Alice remembers the horrible look in his eyes, dark and blank. "I've seen him to be so much worse than he is now. Maybe since she's really here somewhere, he's not as devastated as he would be if she wasn't, though he doesn't realize it. Kind of like me, now that I look at it that way. I wonder, maybe if he knows she's here…"

Another vision flashes before her eyes rapidly. At first, she thinks that she is seeing a vision of the past—the one where Edward is on his knees, giving himself up as prey to Victoria. It's not, but it has the same idea: suicidal.

Fear trembles within Alice and me. "Alice?" Maisie asks worriedly.

Alice jumps back into reality. "Maisie, you _cannot _tell Edward. I know I said it before, but if he knows that she really _is_ out there somewhere, he will do whatever he can to be where she is. Sure, right now, he believes that we vampires lose our souls when we leave our human selves, but that will not stop him from trying."

She then looks around for me, as I might have suddenly become visible. She closes her eyes, making it easier for her to talk to me. Her voice drops down to a quiet breath, barely audible. "Bella, I know you love him. I hope that you can understand. I know that you want him to know you're there, but now is not the time to tell him."

I force myself to nod, though Maisie is the only one who is able to see the movement. A sob escapes my throat, but no tears form. I can't make this harder for the Cullens. Apparently, my being present around Edward keeps him from a greater depression than now. I would silently watch over him until the day he is finally happy enough to accept the fact that he _should_ exist in this world—a world that I cannot enter to be with him, no matter how desperate I am for it.


	10. Bond

The silver Volvo pulls up on the lawn in front of the Cullen house instead of heading straight to the garage. Alice and Maisie come into the house carrying an impossible load of shopping bags. They walk up the staircase inside when Jasper chuckles.

"I warned Esme that this would happen," he jokes. "Three days in New York is too much for you."

Alice makes a face at him behind her large stack of shoeboxes, clearly much more cheerful than before she left, and scoffs. "It's not every day that I get to go out, you know. Not to mention we got to talk and hang out. It's just two sisters getting to know each other."

He laughs again as she slips past him, Maisie quietly following behind her with an armful of various shopping bags. "Oh right, I almost forgot. Are you going to take long?" He eyes her meaningfully, trying to communicate something.

Alice doesn't stop but replies, "We'll be right down. Have everyone ready. Two minutes."

"That's what they all say," Jasper quietly mutters under his breath with a grin, turning his back to her.

"I heard that!"

* ~ * ~ *

Alice skips down the stairs with a huge grin, hauling a confused-looking Maisie behind her with both hands.

"Alice, where are you taking me?" she asks anxiously.

"Come on!" Alice simply tugs her hand excitedly. She leads her outside, in front of the garage. "Close your eyes, and don't open them until I say so," she says sternly. Maisie closes her eyes warily, but Alice reaches up to cover them with her hands anyways. "Don't peek, 'kay?"

"Really, Alice?" Emmett suddenly appears next to the two, exasperated. "The garage is _closed._ Unless she has X-ray vision, you should probably jump off her back before she claws your eyes out."

She glowers at him for a second, but otherwise ignores him.

"Okay, open the garage!" Alice all but squealed with enthusiasm.

The garage door in front of them slowly lifts up, a low groaning sound coming from it. On the far side of the wall, the rest of the family wait expectantly, soft emotions scattered among their faces. Carlisle, and Esme in his embrace, display true smiles of welcome and acceptance, along with Rosalie and Jasper. Edward also wears a smile, tired but sincere, though his eyes are swimming in pain.

I stay by his side, hoping to try to ease his agony. He was better a few days ago...

Alice pulls her hands from Maisie's eyes and dances to the garage.

Maisie finally opens her eyes, not knowing what to expect. She blinks once, taking in the picture in front of her. She peels her eyes away from the machine in front of her to look into the faces of her new family. She opens her mouth, but words are caught in her throat, leaving her speechless.

"What do you think?" Alice asks, gesturing towards the new sports car next to her— a glossy, gray Nissan coupe with an oversized white and red ribbon decorating its hood.

"The... car?" Maisie manages to stammer out.

Esme speaks up. "You can think of it as a welcome present." She smiles wholeheartedly. "We want you to know that you are already accepted into this family."

"I tried to see what kind of car you would like the best. I knew that you would like the color, though I was wondering if you would like a muscle car instead of a sports car. The design is really sturdy-looking, and the engine power is _amazing. _We were thinking about getting you the Corvette, but it didn't look like you would like something that stand-out-ish—"

"Alice!" Emmett hushes her.

Maisie finds a way to move, slow steps taking her towards her new car. She swallows, deliberately reaching out her hand to stroke the hood, the ribbon, needing the assurance that she isn't dreaming.

"Thank you," she whispers earnestly, thanking her family for more than just the car.

* ~ * ~ *

Maisie and Edward walk side-by-side in the quiet woods, engaged in an easy conversation after a short hunt. Alice and Jasper sneakily disappeared who-knows-exactly-when to hunt in their own area together.

"I used to go into the forest at night a lot—you can see the stars much better from there, away from the city lights," Maisie explains. "I've always thought about the dangers of going in there alone, of course, but nothing's happened to me in the six months that I've been going. My father died of cancer, and he loved anything and everything about space and the universe. I missed him, so I would lie down in the middle of the woods and remember all the times he explained to me the constellations of the stars and their stories.

"It was how I would talk to him, in a way; I could just feel him there, lying next to me, listening." She pauses, hoping she isn't giving too much away about her ability. "He had such a strong presence. I never once doubted that he ever really left me, not even when he died.

"It was an incredibly clear night that night. No clouds, slightly windy, a perfect 60-degrees weather. I was walking unhurriedly to my usual spot, relaxed, and it was so weird. I've felt my dad near me in those woods before, but that particular night, it was like he was… restless or something. And then next thing I know, everything is just so _painful._" She grimaces from the dim memory of it.

"Aren't you curious of what your family might think right now? Them worrying about you?" Edward quietly asks.

She shakes her head thoughtfully. "I was an only child. My mom was the only family I had left. But after my dad died, all she ever did was drink; she couldn't stop. That was another reason why I came into the woods. It was quiet out here, so peaceful after all the hours when she yelled at me at home."

"That must have been horrible," he empathizes.

"Well, what can I say? I have it much better in this part of my life," she smiles, shrugging. "I don't think I've ever really had a family before; just my dad. He was my best friend. Who knew I would get a second chance to be welcomed into such a great family?"

Edward breathes out a small laugh. "You're right."

He seems so much happier now. Not exactly his real self, but he was making slow progress. I wish he could know I was here. I push that thought out of my head immediately. This was only proof that things could get much better in time, no matter how long it would take.

_[ Whew! This chapter took a while to write. Hope you liked it so far! Please review, I would really appreciate it! ]_

_[[ Also, I have made a 'character profile' for Maisie, so that readers can visualize her (and her car!). Here is the website (you have to delete all the spaces): _http:// fanfic characterprofile. blogspot. com/_ ]]_


	11. Words

_[ This particular chapter took me hours to finish and get right, so I really hope you enjoy it! ]_

"Edward seems a lot better lately," Emmett says. He plops next to Esme on the sofa.

"Yes, I know," she replies. "He must have been going through so much. Even I had a hard time; I can't imagine how it's been for him."

"You know, I think Maisie's really helping him through this, don't you think?" He wags his eyebrows. "He _talks_ to her."

"Emmett," Esme disapprovingly scolds. "He just went through a great loss; do you honestly think—"

"Ah, save the lecture, Ma, I was kidding," he snickers. He pecks her on the cheek, leaving her rolling her eyes.

* ~ * ~ *

Edward leans on the window in his room, his arm raised against the window to rest his forehead on his forearm. He looks past his dark reflection, a man he cannot identify, and lets his eyes absently wander through the forest scene before him. The tips of the trees swaying dangerously in the wind; a glimpse of the river, now dark and rushing; and beyond that, the soft silhouettes of the mountains, black in the night.

He wonders why he still can't read minds, despite the fact that he'd found the unfamiliar silence to be comforting and peaceful. However, now in the darkness, the vast emptiness inside his head was painful, too many thoughts of his own swimming around—moonlight shining through arched windows; broken glass scattered around the wooden floor, tinted red; the last teardrop making its way down a pale hill…

Then without another second of thought, he whirls around, grabbing a pen and notepad from a small drawer. Sitting back down, the pen trembling in his hand, he bows his head and squeezes his eyes shut. He concentrates on gathering his heavy thoughts.

_My dearest Bella,_ he writes. He exhales a sharp breath, not from pain, but from an overwhelmed feeling, like getting his breath knocked out of him. It's different—much more different—than when he spoke her name out loud to Maisie. Having it written, the letters come together bringing back memories of the past, each line and curve the stroke of a beautiful dream-like painting.

I kneel down in front of him, trying to look into his eyes now open. The golden pools are deep with a sense of hopeless longing, agonized bewilderment. It's a wonder how eyes so marveled yet pained would not spill the droplets of golden tears.

Two deep breaths, and he touches the tip of the pen to the paper, not pausing until the last word.

_Here I am in the deepest pits of hell, pouring my heart out to a piece of paper meant for an angel, now up above in the highest of heavens. Life does not seem to be worth anything but knowing that breaking my promise to you will crush the only remains of my being. And so I endure a passing minute, an hour, a day, wondering how much longer forever must last. Deep inside, 'forever' ended for me, the following days with no meaning to them at all. Fate must have decided that the last couple of months with an angel like you were much too gracious for someone like me to embrace. How I yearn to feel your warmth in my arms; to hear your voice once again; to simply know without a doubt that you are all right, that you are happy in your place right now. What would I give to be where you are, and to stay by your side. _

_Yet if you see me now from another world, how disappointed you must be. My only poor excuse is that I am honestly trying my hardest, displaying a smile on my face for my family, searching for another reason to keep going on. I can only pray that this, fulfilling your promise, will become easier with more effort from my endeavors. _

_Forgive me, my love, for I was not able to offer you anything but this letter and my word that I _will_ seek whatever infinitesimal amount of happiness is left for me in this world that I am trapped in. This is all for you, these words that come straight from the deepest core of my cold heart. My love for you will never cease but grow deeper and truer._

For the second time, my eyes feel uncomfortable, feeling as if they should have rivers of tears streaming out. A hysterical gasp repeatedly bursts from my mouth.

Edward drops the pen the second it lifts away from the paper from his last word. His breathing comes hitched. Mixed emotions run through his head leaving traces of agony, but also slight ease; ease from letting go of the many thoughts that took over his mind so chaotically. He trembles, shaken by the rush of the strong release.

His fists loosen up, and the crease between his eyebrows smooth out. He closes his eyes, the letter still in his hand, and slides down on his side to lie on the couch once again. Holding the creased paper against his heart, he sobs quietly.

_[ So, hope you liked it, and I will try to post the next chapter by tomorrow. Please review! Thanks! ]_


	12. Escapade

_[ I'm sorry if I kept anyone waiting, but this took me the longest time ever, and I think you will know why once you read it. Hope you don't think it's too much of a pointless chapter; I thought that there should be a little more action in this story! ]_

Alice meets Maisie in the garage, dressed in comfortable jeans, a loose V-neck, and a cashmere scarf, with an anticipated smirk on her face.

"Alice?" Maisie is taken by slight surprise. "I was just going to find you—"

Alice points to her head. "Psychic, remember?"

"Oh, right." She laughs. "So… Yes?"

"Let's ride."

* ~ * ~ *

The two cars—Maisie's new Skyline and Edward's Volvo—park side by side at the foot of the mountains. A long dirt trail wide enough for three cars lies in front of them, green trees tracing the edges of either sides of the beaten track.

"Jasper and I found this backroad during hunting. It goes on for _ever_. I don't think it stops until it goes all the way up to Canada. Pretty nice, right?" Alice proudly smiles.

"This is perfect." Maisie cracks a grin. "But I think you're stalling."

She narrows her eyes. "You're on."

Alice gets in the Volvo, and Maisie in her Skyline. A thrill runs through them both, itching to feel the rush of speed and the vibrations of the car engines running, especially Maisie.

Their sports cars ignited, and their foots twitching to floor it, the competitive atmosphere tenses up. Maisie ties her long red hair with a hair tie, rolling the windows down as Alice does.

"All right, Alice. What's your bet?"

"Oh, you want to play it like that?" Alice flashes her teeth. "I win, and I'm setting up your entire wardrobe back home _and_ you can't say anything about it—which means no complaining."

Maisie lets out a short laugh. "Okay. And if _I_ win, then I get to limit _your_ wardrobe to only two articles of clothing a day for a week, not including any underclothes, of course."

Alice grimaces, but hides it quickly. "There's a yellowing birch tree up about twelve miles ahead; you can't miss it," Alice announces the finish line. "Ready whenever you are."

"Ha," Maisie lifts an eyebrow. "Let the race begin."

Revving up the engine, she grips the smooth steering wheel with both hands, a smug smile on her face. Alice theatrically yawns, covering her mouth. Making the race as fair as possible, she waits until she sees when Maisie will slam her foot down the gas pedal: in exactly four seconds—three, two, one…

The two cars shoot forward, a streak of silver and a streak of gray, dust spraying behind them like water. Already at 80 and still speeding, the cars remain side by side, one occasionally gaining a few inches before they line up once again. Up ahead, a sharp curve to the left side of the road quickly approaches them.

Alice seems to hesitate over her gas pedal while Maisie abruptly slows down only a bit before she wheels the car around to fit the curve of the road perfectly. The Volvo follows behind, but instead of catching up, it keeps up with the speed of the Skyline, just barely touching the bumper.

Maisie sees this in her rearview mirror, and she speeds up to 110. Seeing the silver car doing the same and keeping on her tail, she realizes that Alice is drafting her. Another sudden turn comes up, and she remains on the outer edge of the curve, accelerating as soon as the steering wheel spins back into her hands.

More sharp turns, and Maisie sways the car from the left side of the road to the right to caress the outer bend with Alice always right behind her.

After the fifth turn, Alice slows the speed for a second, then slips the car around to bring it up next to Maisie's, knowing the finish line was coming up in the straight road ahead. She throws a superior smile to Maisie across from her, and presses her foot down the gas pedal, inching towards 130.

Maisie, already expecting this, pushes the car forward to catch up to the Volvo. The birch tree with yellowish-orange leaves stands out from the green scenery around it, now half a mile ahead. She levels the car with Alice, staying just a few feet behind. A quarter mile away, she accelerates again, 135, 140…

Alice looks over at the other car almost overtaking her. Gritting her teeth, she propels the Volvo, going at 150, the yellow birch tree coming closer and closer…

Before speeding past the tree, she sees the gray Skyline suddenly zooming by as if held back before, whizzing forward.

"Yeah!" Maisie triumphantly hoots, watching the Volvo trail behind in the dust from the rearview mirror. She lets out an exhilarated breath, absolutely loving the feel of the race and her new car.

Though reluctant to decelerate, she comes to a slow stop and realizes that Alice is still far behind, the Volvo immobile. Worried, she dashes back.

"Alice?" She looks through the window on the passenger's side.

On the driver's seat, Alice sits with her arms crossed. Her long black eyebrows are slanted up in the middle of her forehead, her lower lip jutted out.

"Two articles of clothing a day… Ridiculous…" She mutters.

Maisie presses her lips together to keep from laughing. "Hey, we had a deal."

Alice huffs.

"You know, even for a vampire, you were pretty sick out there," Maisie adds with a grin, feeling the need to cheer her up. No one could resist the glum expression that Alice wears now.

The corners of her lips twitch. "Really?"

Maisie leans in through the window, resting her elbows on the edge. "Hell, yes. I've done street racing before, though I wasn't as reflexive as I am now." She chuckles. "But this is your first time, right?"

A smile finally breaks across Alice's face. "Yeah. It was amazing; I've never felt anything like this before! It's not as fast as running, but it's so _different_—the energy and everything!"

"Well, I can see that we're coming back here sometime soon."

* ~ * ~ *

"Maisie," Alice says. Both perched on the hood of the Skyline, they had been talking about Maisie's street racing until she had suddenly turned her attention towards absolutely nothing in the air. "Mackenzie!"

She blinks and turns her gaze back to Alice, shaking her head quickly. "Sorry, Alice."

"Are you okay?" She asks concernedly.

"Um," Maisie pauses. "My dad's here. He says he's crossing over."

I look around once again, looking for any other 'spirits' like me, but I don't see anyone. Maybe it's like one-way glass…

"Crossing over? You mean like, going 'into the light' and all that?" Alice asks without a joking tone in her voice.

She slowly nods. "Yeah, he says he sees it. 'The most beautiful thing,' he says."

A silent and private conversation takes place between Maisie and her father, Alice waiting patiently.

"I love you too, Dad," She suddenly whispers, her voice cracking. Several seconds later, she sniffs and blinks feverishly, as if expecting tears.

Alice quietly puts her arms around her, soothing her.

* ~ * ~ *

"Well he's in a better place now, right?" Alice still has her arm around Maisie's shoulders.

Maisie smiles, looking down. "Yeah. You know, he said that he saw the light for the first time today, seeing how happy I was. The reason he couldn't see it before was because he just had to see me be that happy again in my life."

Alice simply nods, but she thinks of me, wondering if maybe that's why _I_ haven't 'crossed over.' If maybe I need to see Edward happy again. And she's right. She's definitely right.

_[ So, tell me what you thought about this chapter (and the story so far) and I hope you enjoyed it! Please review! ]_


	13. Nightfall

_[ Once again, I do not own any of Stephenie Meyer's work, and the quotes from below are from her book, _Twilight._ ]_

_Maisie, what exactly did your father say?_ I ask her.

She now turns her head to look at me. "About what?"

Alice frowns. "What?"

"Bella's here," Maisie explains.

Alice's expression lights up, though her eyes a little sad. "What did she say?"

_Did he say anything about the whole 'crossing over' concept?_

"She wants to know why there are spirits still here, not yet crossed over," Maisie tells her. Then taking a breath, to both of us, she says, "Most die with their expectations in life fulfilled. But there are also others, like Bella and my father, who feel as if they have… 'unfinished business' in this world that they can't be peaceful until knowing that their problems are resolved somehow. Some remain as spirits trapped in this world, invisible, searching for the key to their freedom.

"For my dad, he couldn't bear to leave me with my mother the way she was—an alcoholic. Now that I've found a great family and he sees how happy I am, how could he not feel at peace? For Bella, it must be because of Edward."

I gravely agree; but I also know that part of the reason I'm here is because—in a way—it is where he is.

* ~ * ~ *

"So, Maisie, who won the race?" Emmett sticks his head in the open window of Maisie's car as soon as it rolls into the garage. Maisie jumps in her seat and gasps, startled.

She blinks, and before she could reply, Alice's pouty expression answers him. A wide smile reveals his straight teeth. Leaning away, he calls out, "Looks like you're gonna be cheerleading for us, Jazz."

"Damn it," Jasper mutters from upstairs.

Emmett moves out of the way to let Maisie get out of the car, holding up his hand. "Good going, sister. You're not as nice as I thought," he adds.

She high-fives him, staring at him with one eyebrow raised, and scoffs.

"What bet did you make with him this time?" Alice asks grumpily asks.

"I get to race the winner if Maisie wins, and vice versa," he cheerfully says. Another idea dawns on him. "I _should_ make him cheer in the sidelines. Hm..." He rubs his chin, the thought amusing him.

"Not a chance. You didn't mention anything about cheerleading during our bet." Jasper suddenly appears by Alice's side.

Maisie, stifling a giggle, takes Alice's elbow. "Okay then, Emmett, why don't you take all the time you need to get ready for the next race? Have your little pep talk; we'll be back."

Emmett glares after the two girls flitting out of the garage without a word.

* ~ * ~ *

Edward ignores the voices downstairs. He stays in his room, the letter crumpled and thrown in the corner of the room. He watches the sun from out his window, his legs folded up to his chest and his arms propped up on his knees. The brightness of the pale orange sun is astonishing in Forks, the spot of clouds in the sky barely thick enough to veil it. It lazily sinks down, almost touching the outline of the green mountains.

He remembers talking about the twilight time of day with me. He closes his eyes, letting his mind wash over the perfectly clear memory.

"_It's twilight," _He said, and he was so deep in thought; so pensive._ "The safest time of day for us. The easiest time. But also the saddest, in a way... The end of another day, the return of the night. Darkness is so predictable, don't you think?" _And he smiled at me, almost dreamily.

"_I like the night,_" I had replied._ "Without the dark, we'd never see the stars. Not that you see them here much..."_

_How much everything has changed,_ he now thinks. Did the end of the day mean anything to him anymore? Wasn't everything dark to him now, no matter the time of day?

He opens his eyes, and sees the sun at a lower point in the sky, already partly obscured by the mountains. Only a few seconds making such a difference, yet when he watches the orb, it barely seems to be moving. Would time seem to pass by faster if he watches the sun make its journey across the sky every day?

As the last fraction of the sun is finally completely concealed and hidden, darkness overtakes the night sky. The scene changes entirely, though nothing really moved from its place.

Looking up, Edward sees small clusters of stars through the holes punctured in the thin blanket of clouds. _Without the dark, we'd never see the stars. Not that you see them here much..._

* ~ * ~ *

When she was sure they were out of earshot, Maisie looks at Alice. "Alice, I've been thinking... and I think Edward should know about Bella."

Alice watches her, her eyes getting wide. "What? Maisie, I don't have to _see_ to know that he's really going to kill himself! He's still grieving over her, and you know that he's going to want to be with her once he knows for sure that she is here. And I'm not only saying this for my sake, or for Esme's, but think of Bella, Maisie! Her last request..."

_Alice is right, Maisie; he can't know yet._

"Okay, wait, wait!" Maisie holds both of her hands up. "What I'm saying is, he should know that his grieving is the only thing that is keeping Bella here. And if he knows that trying to kill himself will just keep her here forever in guilt, then he won't."

_No._ This subject was beyond painful to think about, and Maisie could clearly see that.

Her brows furrow, and she slowly nods. "Yeah. You're right. Why not just keep him in the dark? It's not like he's completely mature and able to make his own decisions after considering everyone else." Her voice drops, and she looks at the ground. "He is sitting in the dark, washing over the only thing that he thinks is left of you—his memories. What if he will feel more in peace if he knows that you are finally happy, seeing that he understands? He won't let you down, Bella, or his family." She looks back at me.

I stare back at her unhappily. _Go back to the house, Maisie. Edward is looking for you._

She takes one look at me, then at Alice. "Fine, I won't tell him. _Yet._" And she takes off towards the direction of the house.

* ~ * ~ *

Maisie sees Edward darting out of the house. "Edward."

He slows and turns to where Maisie is flitting over to him.

"Where are you going?" She frowns. He's already went hunting a few days ago...

Normally, had it been his other sisters or brothers asking, he would have said to mind their own business. He simply answers Maisie, "The sky is very clear tonight, nice for stargazing."

_Maybe you should go with him; make sure he doesn't do anything too rash,_ I say a little hesitantly.

"You mind if I trail along? I haven't been able to see the stars here; too cloudy." She laughs half-heartedly.

Edward thinks about this for half a second. He wanted to look up at the starry sky and find in it the beauty that I was talking about. To lie—not in his meadow, for the memories there were yet too painful—anywhere in the woods, a small clearing maybe, to imagine me watching him from the infinite sky.

But even he is aware of the atmosphere that Maisie brings with her—he can think about me without so much pain, and the weight pressing his body down is lifted when she's near him...

"No, I don't mind," He answers her quietly.

Maisie gives him a smile. "Okay. And if you're into any astronomy, I can tell you almost _anything_ about the stars."

Edward smiles back.

_[ 'Kay, so please review whether you liked it or not, please! And unfortunately, I will not be able to post up another chapter until Monday, and I'm sorry about that. Until then! ]_


	14. Myth

[ Finally, the chapter is finished! Sorry it took so long! ]

"... And those stars that connect to look kind of wavy? That's the constellation of Draco. He's the dragon that 'wraps' himself around the North Pole—" Maisie stops herself midsentence. "I'm boring you, aren't I?" She laughs with chagrin.

"Not in the least. I understand why you have such interest in these stories; they're fascinating."

Edward smiles, still looking up at the stars Maisie had pointed out. They lie side by side on the damp grass, hands behind their heads. The sound of the flowing river rushing against the rocks is peaceful and fitting in the woods.

"Which one's your favorite?" Edward asks.

Grinning, Maisie answers, "The Orion. You see those three stars lined up right there? That's 'Orion's Belt'... and the four stars around that is his body and head. The myth is really interesting. My dad never got tired of telling me the same story over and over again."

"What's the myth?"

"You won't fall asleep? Metaphorically," She adds.

Edward chuckles. "No, I'm actually curious."

With another grin, Maisie begins her story.

* ~ * ~ *

Orion was a man whom everyone honored. He was a skillful hunter, a brave and strong fighter, and incredibly handsome.

The story begins when he fell in love with the princess of Chios, Merope, and asked her father for her hand in marriage. The king of Chios agreed to let Orion marry his daughter if he destroyed the beasts that plagued his kingdom.

Orion easily defeated these beasts, and proudly went back to Chios to marry Merope, only to have the king denying his agreement. Angered, Orion tried to take the princess by force, breaking into her room. The guards caught him, and as ordered by the king, threw him into the sea.

The next day, the goddess Artemis found the handsome man washed up on the shore, and fell in love with him instantly. Caring for him in her home, her love for him grew deeper and deeper until she decided to marry him.

Apollo, Artemis's brother, however did not approve of their love, and could not allow them to marry. He sent a deadly scorpion to kill the man in his sleep.

Orion was hunting that night on the shore when the black scorpion suddenly attacked him. He fought the monster for hours until he felt the need to retreat. He thought about running back to his home, where plenty of deadly weapons were hidden—deadly weapons that could kill this beast.

But he remembered the goddess who cared for him and loved him, resting peacefully in the room next to his own. Despising the thought of leading such a dangerous threat anywhere near her, he instead retreated to the sea, swimming away. The scorpion followed.

Early in the morning, Apollo somehow knew that Orion was not yet dead. He took Artemis to the coast to hunt, making sure that she wouldn't recognize the absence of her soon-to-be-husband. At the beach, he saw a figure in the water, moving. Realizing that it was Orion swimming, he challenged his sister to hit the 'whale' in the distance, knowing she never missed a single target in her life. Proving herself to her brother, Artemis released the arrow, hitting the target perfectly.

As she waited for the dead carcass to slowly make its way towards her, she saw the face of her lover. While mourning Orion's death, another dead body washed up on the shore: the black poisonous scorpion that had drowned, trying to swim after its enemy.

Artemis put Orion's beautiful image up in the dark heavens that night. Every day of eternity, however, Orion runs from the black scorpion, always keeping a distance away...

* ~ * ~ *

"...And so the constellation for the Scorpio is always on the other side of the earth from Orion. That's the whole myth," Maisie ends the story with a sigh.

"Wow," Edward murmurs. "That's... Wow."

Maisie laughs. "Yeah. I think my dad tells it better, though. Every time he told me the story, it was different."

"Do you..." Edward closes his eyes. "Do you think he's up there?"

Both Maisie and I know that he's not really asking about her father specifically.

"Yeah, I do," She answers slowly, careful not to let anything slip. "I mean, there has to be something out there for all of us. I don't want to believe that it just ends right here when time is up, you know?"

"Right," Edward whispers. Pain and confusion strangles his voice, making him almost inaudible. "I don't really know what to believe anymore. I don't want to."

"Edward..." Maisie hesitates.

_Don't do it, Maisie. _I plead her angrily, miserably. _Don't._

She exhales deeply and squeezes her eyes shut, long seconds passing by.

"Look, she's out there, Edward. You have to believe that. And I really do think that there's something waiting for our kind, too. Something that could be better than this world. You never know. But that's just the thing—once the time comes for that, there's nothing you could do about it anyways. So you do what I do: live for the moment."

Edward pushes himself up to his feet slowly, not meeting Maisie's eyes when she props herself up on her elbow to look at him. "Yes, Maisie, maybe you're right. But it's far too late for that now. For me, anyway."

With that, he turns and tiredly darts back into the trees, out of the small meadow.

_That was just great,_ I grumble to Maisie. _I thought we agreed not to tell him._

She falls back onto the grass, running her hands through her red hair. "Yeah, well, when do you plan to surprise him with the big newsflash?" She mutters sarcastically.

_Just watch what you say_, I warn her.

* ~ * ~ *

Edward, in the middle of the forest, sinks down by a large tree, leaning his back on it. He ran for a long time now, passing the house and then going further north, needing to escape for a while. It's completely dark out here. The tall trees above block any moonlight that is out tonight.

_Did I 'live for the moment' when I was with her? Could I admit to that?_

_Yes. Yes, I did. I cherished ever minute of every day she was by my side, and every minute of every night when I watched her sleep so peacefully. I _did_ live for the moment, and I never took it for granted. _

_What about now? Now, when I'm not really living at all; no real moments to live _for.

_The myth about Orion and the goddess who loved him, Artemis... Artemis, who killed her lover without any knowledge of his identity. And Orion, who risked his life to save the one he loved._

I suddenly realize who he compares the characters to, and to what situation.

_If Artemis knew how Orion would die before taking him to her home, would she have just left him there, on the shores, even if she fell in love with him that instant? Would she have cared for him, and kept loving him still?_

_And would Orion have led the scorpion to the ocean even if he knew his deathly fate? Would he have risked his life anyways, just to save his loved one?_

Edward was so buried in his own thoughts that he didn't hear rapid footsteps dashing towards him.

"Edward?" Alice's voice calls out. "Maisie!"

Breaking out of his agonized reverie, Edward gets up, hearing the panicked tone in her voice.

Alice runs up to him, a worried expression on her face. "Edward! Where's Maisie?"

Instead of waiting for an answer, she darts off again. Edward follows behind on her heels.

"Alice, what's wrong? Did you see something?"

She nods once. "There's a human near her. She's going to lose control."

[ I will try to have the next chapter up by tomorrow or the day after that. Thanks for reading. Please, please review! I would really love that. Thanks! ]


	15. Call

[ Again, disclaimer: I do not own any of Stephenie Meyer's characters or stories. Enjoy this chapter! ]

A human stumbles around in the dark forest by the river, lost. It's a man who fell asleep hours ago and had just woken up, disoriented. He is still drunk; not enough sleep to rid of the alcohol in his system. His clothes dirty and his hair tangled, he looks around, searching for something. Half crouched, he feels around for a lost object, desperate to find it. In his desperation, he trips over a tree root, falling head-first towards the rocky ground...

* ~ * ~ *

Maisie is still on the same spot Edward left her in, except now she sits up with her elbows rested on her knees. She looks up at the starry sky, remembering stories and myths. She imagines her father watching her from above, telling of these stories.

_Maisie!_ I demand her attention.

She sighs exasperated, as if expecting a long lecture, still staring up at the sky. "What is it?"

_Maisie, you need to get away from here, right _now!

But before I could warn her any more, a sharp gust of wind blows her hair around, carrying a human scent, and her eyes cloud over. She stares off into the trees, and in the next quarter of a second, she flies, away from me and towards the opposite direction from where Edward, a while ago, had disappeared through.

Her impulse completely taking over her entire self, she pushes herself forward to the irresistible smell, getting stronger and stronger as she gets closer.

I shout at her, trying to make her see me—whatever I can to pull her back to her senses, but nothing works. I feel a strange sense of déjà vu as I remember when I tried to stop Edward from running, looking for Victoria... Maisie wears the same frenzied look as Edward did, except her thirst replaces his fury.

The innocent man, bleeding from his head where he hit the rocks, is unconscious; not that it could have saved him if he wasn't. If only he fell into the water—it would have been a much less painful death for him.

Maisie nears him, faster and faster as the strong scent of human blood gets more potent. Finally she sees the human, and glistening in the moonlight, the fresh blood.

All of a sudden, Edward throws himself at Maisie, locking his arms around her. The sound is deafening, like two crashing boulders.

"Maisie, stop!" Edward growls in her ear. "Take control!"

It is then that I realize that the human is not the only one in danger. Edward leaves himself vulnerable in Maisie's uncontrolled frenzy, so close to a newborn vampire much stronger than he is. She's going to hurt him without knowing it. I can't let that happen.

So caught up in my horror, I automatically cry, _Edward, let go!_

To my surprise, he does, releasing his hold—but not by his own instinct to protect himself, or in defeat. Bewildered shock comes across his face, leaving him stupefied and motionless.

Maisie, sprawled on the ground after being thrown from trying to push away from Edward's grasp and being unexpectedly let go, leaps back up on her feet. She charges for the limp man, her hands reaching for him.

Edward tries to clear his mind, shaking his head, and grabs hold of Maisie's arms, pulling her back. She turns toward him, her lips pulled back over her teeth, releasing a vicious snarl.

_Stop, Edward, leave her!_

Again, he has that strange look in his eyes, the marveled awe, and he lets go once again.

This time, instead of pursuing her prey, Maisie steps back into a crouch facing Edward, her back to the human. Her bright red eyes gleam in the faint light, completely deranged. Then her head whips around to try to focus on something beyond him.

Alice is suddenly behind Edward, her eyes watchful. Emmett steps forward to stand next to Edward, but she holds him back cautiously.

Edward speaks in a low voice now with his hands held out in a reassuring way. "Mackenzie..." He warily says.

Hearing her name does not snap her back into place, but has the opposite effect. She acts fast, lurching towards Edward. As expecting this, Emmett swiftly reaches out and takes hold of both of her arms behind her with his hands. Alice grasps her flailing legs and helps him carry her into the trees far away.

"Edward, get Carlisle!" Alice calls out before disappearing.

After taking one quick glance at the man lying face-down on the rocky river bank, he sprints away to the house.

He runs absentmindedly as he thinks back to what just had happened. Short flashes of scenes pass quickly through his mind—when he saw Maisie and stopped her; the growl that escaped her throat; how she struggled, strong enough to break his hold and throw him into the trees; and then _my _voice:_ Edward, let go..._

He'd h_eard_ me. That's what caused his surprise.

Edward's eyes soften as he remembers my 'voice,' loud and clear... in his head. It's exactly as if he read someone's mind, though he's never heard mine—unless he just did minutes ago...

_But it's impossible,_ he painfully thinks to himself. _But it _was_ her voice._

Confusion sweeps across his face. _My own imagination...?_ He wonders. He shakes his head. He heard it so clearly; more clearly than it seemed to be, having it been such a long time for him since he'd really heard my voice—or any other thoughts.

Heaving a desolate sigh, he replays my voice calling his name over and over again, imagining for the moment that I was there, next to him—which I am, but he does not know of it.

* ~ * ~ *

"Edward, you don't need to come along if it will be too hard for you," Carlisle assures him.

Edward realizes suddenly that during the whole scene, he hadn't been holding his breath, and yet, he did not smell the human blood at all. He frowns slightly, confused at this thought, too.

Misinterpreting his expression, Carlisle says, "I can follow your scent back. It isn't a problem."

"No, that's okay, Carlisle," Edward quickly protests. "I'll go."

* ~ * ~ *

Rushing back, Edward gives Carlisle the most information he can about the man.

"The man seemed middle-aged. He had a severe head injury from landing on the rocks."

His forehead creasing, Carlisle urgently murmurs, "Then we'd better hurry."

When they reach the body, Carlisle notes the pulse of the man: still alive. "Edward, please gently roll him over face-up. It seems he hit his forehead." He quickly takes out medical instruments and ointments out of his bag.

Edward, not smelling anything, kneels down and slowly pushes the unconscious body to face toward the sky. He looks over the body to check if there are any other heavy wounds. Then he takes a glimpse of the face of the man, and chokes back a strangled gasp in horror.

[ Please, please review! It really does make a difference! Thanks for reading, and I hope you liked it! Next chapter will be up tomorrow. ]


	16. Push

_[ This was an intense chapter for me to write. I hope you like it. ]_

"Edward?" Carlisle turns to look at Edward's aghast face, white as bone. Following his gaze, he breathes out in recognition. "Chief Swan."

_What?_

I focus on the man's face, blood and dirt encrusted on his right cheek and forehead. His sallow skin sticks to the cheekbones under, and his blood-drenched hair... light brown...

_Charlie..._ I force the word out of my frozen mouth.

How did I not identify him before? Even if it was dark... It was because of the drastic change his face and body wore. He's nearly skin and bones, and even now, I can see his face almost sagging tiredly. Beneath his closed eyes, there are dark circles marked under the skin.

How selfish it was of me to leave him, especially with the last moment I had left with him—me shouting at him with tears streaming down my face; even though it was all an act, he didn't know that.

Am I the one that caused this? Charlie very rarely came into the woods at all; he even more rarely drank alcohol either. But it _was_ my fault. And I never gave him a thought after I left him, not even after I died. It breaks my heart to see him this way at this moment.

Charlie suddenly flashes his eyes open, searching for something. Half-deranged, he rasps out, "Isabella?"

Edward's eyes are narrowed in agony, not knowing what to say or do. He shuts his eyes and folds his hands into a tight double fist.

"Charlie," Carlisle sadly says, "Bella is... safe."

"Bella..." My father slurs, then goes unconscious again.

Carlisle immediately starts cleaning the gash on Charlie's forehead. "He must be taken to the hospital at once." He looks over at his son, unmoving.

"Edward," Carlisle touches his shoulder. "Maybe you should go back home."

He doesn't move. Carlisle takes Charlie's limp body in his arms and disappears.

Edward thinks to himself, _What have I done?_

Not knowing where he would go, he stands up in a daze. He drags his feet, treading across the grass. When will his pain ever end?

His foot kicks a small object, too shiny and too square to be a rock. He picks it up. A silver lighter—the object Charlie was looking for. He never smoked a cigarette in his entire life, either. It's like he's a completely different man now. I can almost say the same for Edward; not quite, though.

* ~ * ~ *

"Oh God, oh God..." Maisie mutters, her face buried in her hands.

Alice pats her shoulder soothingly. "Shh, Maisie. It happened to all of us. It won't be like that forever."

Maisie finally feels my presence near her, and raises her head. "Bella! You tried to warn me..."

_It's okay, Maisie, it's not your fault. The important thing is you didn't do anything to him. _I shudder at the thought of it.

"_What_ did you say?" Emmett suddenly bursts out, making us all jump.

"Emmett, shut _up,_" Alice sharply hushes him.

He lowers his voice, but otherwise ignores her. He kneels down on the grass by Maisie, putting a hand on her shoulder. "What did you say, Maisie?" He repeats.

"Erm, what?" Maisie furrows her brow, trying to concentrate.

"Why were you talking like Bella was here?"

"Oh... I..." She stutters.

"Maisie's ability is that she can see spirits, and she can see Bella," Alice straightforwardly explains.

His eyes are wide. "What?"

Alice sighs, aggravated. "_Ghosts¸ _Emmett. She can talk to them."

"I _know_ what spirits mean," he growls. He looks back at Maisie. "So, you talk to her? She's here?"

She nods.

"But you can't tell Edward!" Alice warns him. "Emmett, you have to promise! Promise not to tell him!"

"Okay, okay! Yeesh. Why not, though?" He asks. "I can't believe you won't tell him! Have you seen him for oh, I don't know, the past few weeks or so? Don't you even know why he's like that? If he knows that she's with him, in a way, then maybe he might cheer up. You know that he can't hear anyone's thoughts anymore—though I have to admit, it's kind of nice that way... But even I know that it's because of his depression. Why aren't you telling him about this?"

Alice glowers at him. "You done?"

Maisie answers him instead. "Because if he knows that he has a chance of being with her, then he's going to try."

It takes him a few seconds, but he finally understands. "Oh."

"We'll tell him eventually; it's just... now's not the time."

"You can keep up your excuses. I still think he should know about this."

"What?_"_ Alice hisses. "_Why?_"

Emmett creases his brows and looks at her. "_Because,_ Alice. Because you girls keeping this a secret like it's some high school gossip or something is wrong. He's not a little kid; he can make his own decisions."

Maisie cracks a small smile from the memory of her saying almost the exact same thing.

"Really, Emmett?" Alice sarcastically retorts. "So then if he really does find out that she's here but he can't do anything about it, what do you think he would do? What would _you_ do?"

They glare at each other for a long moment until Maisie finally interrupts their staring game.

"Emmett, I think that... maybe Alice is right. For now," She says a little ruefully.

He sighs in a carefree way and throws up his hands, saying, "Alright, fine then. But I wouldn't want to be the one to sacrifice a neck for him to chew off, 'kay?" Then he adds with a grin, "Hey, Bella, how's the other world?"

I laugh, and wonder how Emmett can make everything into a big joke.

"Well, I think maybe we should get back," Alice finally declares. "Esme is probably worried."

Emmett holds out his hands for both of his sisters to help them to their feet.

All of a sudden, something touches my shoulder. That's weird. I haven't felt anything physical in my bubble... I turn around in shock, trying to look for the source of whatever touched me.

It's exactly what Maisie told Carlisle before: _They're all like a misty figure..._ _There are faint glows from the mists; they're all different..._

A foggy silhouette of something reaching out to me... an arm, a hand attached to the long shape, and a body... The faint glow—it's bright, and from the 'color' of it, I recognize this figure...

My mouth parts open, not understanding fully. _Ch—Charlie?_ I whisper.

The glittering glow coming from him flickers, and grows slightly brighter—a smile.

And then I freeze as I comprehend. _No. I've got it wrong..._ I look back up to the head of the figure. Regaining control, I disappear from the forest, leaving Maisie asking me urgent questions that are silent to me.

The place I reappear in, it's white. Almost blinding at first. Then there are voices, growing louder and clearer.

_Bella, _My father says.

I turn to him, wide-eyed. _Dad... _I'm choking. _Why are you here? What's happening?_

_Shh. It's going to be okay._

"Clear," A woman says robotically. There's a sudden, sharp electric zapping sound. In the background, a single, faint high-pitched beeping is long and steady.

_I missed you, Bells. Where have you been? _He asks conversationally.

_Charlie, get back! Please!_ I beg, my throat closing up.

He ignores me. _Bella, find a way to cross over._ I look at him, panicked. _Find the light._

"Clear," The same woman says; then the same sharp zap.

I go up to Charlie's hospital bed. My eyes wide and my brain befuddled, I push my hands out, hard as I can, and they go through the thin invisible film. I place my palms on Charlie's chest, willing him to get back to his body. _Come on_, I whimper. _Please._

"Clear."

Charlie's presence grows weaker and weaker beside me. I don't know what's happening. I'm confused.

And the single steady beeping goes back to its rhythm, _beep, beep._

I don't feel anyone next to me anymore. I'm alone in my invisible bubble again.

I see Charlie's unconscious form on the hospital bed, his chest slowly rising up and down. I exhale a short but heavy breath, relieved and disoriented. My hands are somehow back by my side, limp, and the film surrounds me like before.

Carlisle stands by Charlie's bed. He kneels down to hold his hand as if they were brothers. "You'll be okay, Chief Swan. You'll be okay."

_[ Thank you for reading, everyone. Also, I have to thank every one of my reviewers. Thank you so much for the wonderful comments! Please keep up the reviews! (And favorite this story to check for the next chapter, which will be up tomorrow!) ]_


	17. Beliefs

**[ Hello, everyone. Sorry for the late update. I started school today, so unfortunately, I will not be able to write as often. But I promise you, I will try my hardest to write quickly! Here's Chapter 17! ]**

"Carlisle!" Esme and Alice say at the same time as he walks in the room.

Esme dashes up to his side to rub his arm soothingly. "How's Chief Swan?"

He pats her hand. "He's fine. He flatlined for half a minute, but he's all right now. He does have a major concussion from hitting his head, though."

I stayed by Charlie's side all night, worrying about him and making sure he was okay. The few times he woke up—though it was only for a few seconds every time—he didn't seem to remember anything. While he lay in the hospital bed, I thought about seeing his _soul_.

Why was I able to see him, but not see other spirits, like Maisie's father, around me? Eventually, I guessed that it was because I had a connection with Charlie in my past life. I never knew Maisie's father; this world would seem incredibly crowded if I did see every single soul remaining in this world.

One other thing I realized only after was the fact that I really _did_ see his distinct shape and color, and not just as a silhouette. I remembered seeing the light brown curly hair, the small wrinkles fanning out from the sides of his eyes when he smiled, and the feature that stood out the most to me—the brown of his eyes, the same shade as mine.

It is not something easily explained. In the panic and dread of the thought of my father dying, I could not _see_ him; I was not able to see the precise texture and color of his features. Distraction seems to take a major role in this part of the world.

"How did you know it was Chief Swan?" Carlisle suddenly asks. "I sent Edward home but I didn't come across his scent."

"Oh, well..." Alice casts a doubtful look at Maisie. Seeing as Edward would not come home in a while, she explains, lowering her voice. "Maisie knew."

Comprehension comes across his face. "Ah," He says quietly. "Did you see him?"

"Actually, I heard—" Maisie stops in the middle of her sentence, biting on her bottom lip.

"It's okay," Alice reassures her.

Maisie takes a small breath. "I heard Bella say his name. She saw him first."

Carlisle's eyes widen, and Esme lets out a soft gasp. "Bella?" She whispers. "You saw her?"

"Yes. She watches over Edward, and she tried to warn me before... before I lost control," Maisie shifts nervously at the subject. "She's here right now."

A strange sound comes from Esme's throat. "Oh, Bella!" She is at a loss for words.

_Can you thank them for me? For being there for Edward... and of course, for Charlie._ I tell Maisie. _I have to find Edward._

She nods, and I leave to look for Edward.

* ~ * ~ *

I find him wandering aimlessly in the thickest parts of the woods, entranced in his own deep thoughts.

_Should I go check on Chief Swan? Or perhaps just go home?_ He weighs the options and their outcomes carefully. _Not Chief Swan. Not right now. _The hammering of his head backs his decision. In a numb trance, he heads home slowly, one footstep forward at a time...

Why_ did I hear her voice? Do vampires hallucinate? The desperate need to know... but the timing... It was like she was _there_, protecting me..._

_I _am_ here, Edward! You heard my voice, why won't you believe that? Why is it so hard to believe that my soul won't ever leave you?_

Frustration blackens my thoughts towards him for a brief second, and then I come back to my senses. Of course he would have doubts. How could he not, after believing so strongly that I had completely left this world?

* ~ * ~ *

_My beloved Bella,_

_Hearing your voice, whether it was from the form of your angel self, or merely from my imagination, I cannot begin to explain the exultation that seemed to lift my feet off of the ground under me. Such a feeling of comfort in those few minutes. Why is it that my ability to read minds deceases, yet I hear the most angelic voice from my head—and the one whose mind I have never heard before?_

_Thank you, my angel, for sending me hope and enlightenment, the reassurance that you are happy in your heaven; that you are _there_. That is the most I can ask from you now. And I am truly grateful that you have given me proof—no matter whether it was a figment of the most desperate needs of my imagination, or if it was really you, calling my name—that you still exist somewhere in this universe. The absence of your presence would make the world a dark place to live in without your light to shine upon it._

_Your voice was a reminder that our time together was not just the most wonderful of all dreams, but that we shared a time, a life so golden, that just remembering those days gives me a place in heaven for the moment. Thank you for those moments._

* ~ * ~ *

Maisie, Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett are off on a brief hunt. Emmett and Rosalie walking side by side, talk in hushed tones too intimate to be secretive. Maisie and Edward trail behind them, Maisie doing her best to talk about easy subjects, avoiding anything that might bring up something from a few nights ago.

She succeeds until there is silence. It's not an awkward silence, though—just thoughtful. She doesn't mind it—until Edward talks again.

"Maisie, I think there's something I want to... let off my chest," He begins.

She hesitates, but says, "Okay, shoot."

_Maybe this is something too personal to share..._ But he already brought up the subject. He takes a deep breath quietly. "I... I heard Bella's voice." His voice is too muted for even Emmett to hear.

Maisie resists the urge to stop in her tracks and burst out _"No, you didn't! That's not even possible!"_

"Oh," She simply says. She swallows.

_And I thought _I_ was a bad liar,_ I mutter to her.

He doesn't notice her distraction. "It was when I was trying to stop you from attacking... the human." He recoils from almost saying Charlie's name.

"I barely remember anything from then." She tries to avoid the coming subject.

"Yes... But I don't know what I'm supposed to make out of it. Was it my imagination? My subconscious giving me what I so fiercely ached for?" He shakes his head, running a hand through his auburn hair. "Her voice was warning me... It was as if she was right there..."

"Erm," Maisie stammers, looking for something to say. _Bella, are you absolutely, _positively_ sure you don't want him to know?_

_I... I..._

Suddenly, I am confused. I don't know anymore. It was for the best that he shouldn't know... right? Or was it better that he knew I was here and that he would be happy enough for that? That he might get out of this depression?

_Bella!_ Maisie pretends to play with her fingers while she waits for my answer. Edward is back to his silent musing.

"Edward..." Maisie drags out slowly.

**[ And I have started the next chapter, but it won't be on until about the day after tomorrow. Thanks for reading! Hint: Review button is right there... (: ]**


	18. Déjà Vu

**[Hello, everyone! I'm _so_ sorry I wasn't able to write in such a long time. I had an English paper due (it's actually a short fiction story, and I am thinking about posting it here on FanFiction). Anyways, this chapter is short, but I can tell you that it _is_ important. Enjoy!]**

"Edward, there's something I should probably tell you," Maisie slowly, cautiously says.

"What is it?"

_No, Maisie, don't. Just don't tell him. It's better that way._

She opens her mouth, still on the edge of deciding. "I..." No other words come out. "Truth is, I..." She swallows, hard, then sighs. "I always heard my dad's voice when he was gone, too," she finally mutters, completely changing the course of her subject.

Edward shakes his head, unaware of Maisie's hesitation. "Yes, but just then, it was like she was standing there—next to me. I heard it very clearly."

"Well, er, you know... I mean, like you said, maybe it could just have been a fabrication of your subconscious—"

"No," Edward quietly but sharply interrupts. "It felt intensely real."

_I'm losing ground here, Bella,_ Maisie frantically thinks to me. "Edward, you said you believed that she wasn't here... So how does this make sense?"

Sudden and unexplainable fury accumulates within him. "I did _not_ imagine her; I know that. It was real, and I _felt_ her, just like you felt your father; but her voice was more than that. I almost felt the breath coming from her lips at the rhythm of the words she whispered to me."

"It's happened to others, too, Edward. It's not just you and me. It's typical for someone who's just went through a loved one's death—"

A sharp exhale rushes out of Edward's mouth, as if he just had his breath knocked out of him. There's impossible pain set deep in his eyes. He shuts his eyes tightly, as he does with his fists.

A quiet moment passes, and Maisie watches Edward concernedly, her eyebrows pressed together in the middle, her mouth slightly open, and her hands hesitating to comfort him. She reaches over to touch his arm, and he cringes away.

"Edward, I'm—"

"I have to go." His voice is rough, uneven. He turns away, heading towards the house.

"No, wait!" Maisie whips her head around to call to him. "Edward, wait!"

_Hope you're happy with your decision,_ she grumbles. _The whole thing went well, don't you think?_

I don't answer. I leave her, following Edward, my breath coming on fast.

* ~ * ~ *

_My beloved Bella..._

_My dearest Bella..._

_Edward..._

Edward glances at the three pieces of paper, all crumpled, two ripped from a journal, and one stained with dried blood. He stares at them for a long moment, the sense of déjà vu ripping through him.

When was the last time he held this letter? The same emotions—pain; hopelessness; impulsiveness... Similar depression. Nothing he can do now—or is there?

His jaw locks, and he gathers the three letters.

Excruciatingly careful to detach himself from any emotions, he heads for the woods again—out of the city limits... away from the trail at the pavement's end... a place he used to go when the weather was nice...

**[So, in case those last few sentences don't sound familiar, skim page 254 of _Twilight_. Please, leave a review; it will motivate me to write faster! Thanks for reading!]**


	19. Break

**[Sorry again, for making anyone wait. Enjoy this chapter!]**

"Bella," Maisie gasps in a sudden. "Bella, I know why." Her eyes stare off into space, wide and comprehending.

_What are you talking about, now?_

"It all makes sense... How Edward heard your voice in the forest; why he was able to when he couldn't even read anyone else's mind..."

Please_ explain. I don't have time for this._

She turns to face me. "We theorized that the reason why Edward couldn't read minds anymore was because he was so preoccupied with his own grief over you. Well what if, back in the woods when I lost control" —I flinch from the memory— "he was starting to overcome the grief? That he was starting to get his ability back... And he heard you... through _me_?"

It takes me a moment to catch up, but when I finally understand, I feel the need to confirm it. _So... he heard _your_ thoughts, but only the part where you heard my voice?_

Maisie nods frantically. "It's like he filters out all the thoughts except yours without even knowing. And that's why he can only hear your voice when I'm around—because I'm the only one who can hear you."

I think for a moment. _No, but wait. I've spoken a lot of times when you were around him—like when I kept on telling you not to tell him anything. Obviously he didn't hear _that_._

"But those times, he wasn't in any real danger. When he heard you, you were screaming to warn him—to keep him safe from me."

She was right. Somehow, it all fit into one piece. Now that it was spoken aloud, the truth was almost too obvious.

But still, the real question was, did I want him to know I was still here? What would be the outcome of that? Would it be the best decision here?

_Maisie, _I slowly say as I make my final conclusion. I swallow, then take a deep breath. _You were right. He should know about... me. _

She frowns, unsure. "Are you positive? Because once it's out there, you can't take it back."

_I can stay here forever just for him, but I can't if he will continue to be like this. And I think this is the only way._

* ~ * ~ *

Edward stands, straddling on the edge of the meadow. _Our_ meadow. He is hidden from the shadows of the trees, hesitating.

He blinks hard once, clearing his mind altogether. And then he takes a step forward into the perfect clearing. Despite his effort to keep himself detached from his body, a heavy weight drops in the center of his chest. His breath trembles, and his step falters. The hand in his pocket feels for the letters and another cold object, making sure they are there.

He lumbers over to the center of the circular meadow and takes out the three letters. He reads the two that is written in his perfect writing silently, then drops them. Without any wind, the letters drift down, resting on the grass by his feet.

_I hope these get to you, Bella._ _They're from my heart._

I watch as he takes out a silver object—Charlie's lighter. He flicks it open, lighting it, and the small fire is bright in the night. Edward's golden eyes are barely visible, dark as they are.

"Edward," Maisie softly murmurs from behind him. She stands still at the edge of the meadow.

Edward is silent, closing the lighter but still holding it in front of him.

"What are you doing?"

He closes his eyes. To say _Nothing_ was a lie.

"If you're angry at me, I understand. But there's something you should know."

Now was the breaking point. It was this weight that was balanced on the tip of a knife, always dangerously tipping on one side or the other.

"Something that... Bella would like for you to know." Her voice drops to barely a whisper.

He cringes. Hearing my name in this place was a sharp blow to his chest. The pain overtakes the confusion.

Maisie continues in a quavering voice. "She's here, Edward. She's always been watching over you. She's watching you now."

The only response from him is his breathing, coming faster.

"I can see her, and I saw my father. That's what my ability is. She was here the whole time, not crossed over like you thought she was. I talked to her, Edward. Bella—"

"Stop." His quiet protest was muted, strained. His jaw is clenched with stress. "Don't do this to me."

"What?" Maisie breathes. "I'm telling you the truth, Edward. You don't feel her? She's right next to you!"

He shakes his head, more to push the strong emotions away than as a dissent.

"Fine," she shoots back in a low tone. "Be stubborn. But being like this won't help anyone. Hell, it never did anyone any good. Not Esme, not Alice, not the whole family, including me, and especially not you. To be completely honest, I'm sick and tired of this. I don't know what to do anymore."

She turns around, disappearing through the trees. I cast a glance at Edward, then follow her.

_Maisie, stop—_

"No, Bella. I meant it when I said I was sick and tired of all of it. I'm tired of being a damn spokesperson for you, when it's not even changing anything."

I stare at her wordlessly, letting her pass.

* ~ * ~ *

Edward is shaking.

He is shaking out of shock, pain, confusion. The words from Maisie's mouth were incomprehensible. They were jumbled up, too hard to piece back together.

He relights the lighter. His breath comes heavy and broken. He drops it, watching the small flame leave a trail of light as it falls toward the ground. The flame catches to the pieces of paper still on the grass, consuming it hungrily.

And then one thought comes over his mind over many others. He raises a hand slowly. Even then, I don't understand what he is doing. His fingers hover over the tip of the fire, making patterns in the smoke.

Panic rises up to my throat.

_Maisie. Maisie!_

**[The last chapter is two chapters away! Please leave your reviews, even if it's just a short one. The next chapter will be written in three days, at most. Favorite & review!]**


	20. Promise

**[Disclaimer: I do not own any of Stephenie Meyer's story or characters. Where are the tissues...?]**

_Maisie!_

She stops and turns around, alerted by my voice, high-pitched and shaken.

_I don't know what he's going to do. You can't let him do this!_

Though unknowing of what is going on, she darts back to the meadow, where a thin film of smoke rises in the night sky.

In two seconds, she is back at the meadow. She sees Edward standing where she left him, a hand outstretched as if to touch the fire, now feeding on what seems like a jacket—the jacket Edward was wearing seconds ago.

She watches from behind the trees, cautious.

Edward stares into the flame, his head spinning. In between its flickers, he can see through it the memories of his past; my face, my eyes...

_How many different ways fire can be seen as, _Edward thinks to himself. _Disastrous, passionate, romantic... beautiful..._

He slowly reaches over towards the fire again, as if to touch my lips, smiling at him.

_No, stop, Edward!_

His fingers freeze over the flame. His creased forehead smoothes out, and his lips part and relax in awe. _How I missed that voice... _He twirls his fingers, making patterns in the rising smoke.

"Bella," he breathes inaudibly.

_Edward, you promised,_ I sob. _You promised to stay happy._

_I _am_ happy. Here, right now. _He smiles gently, as if to prove his point. There is light in his eyes again, sparkles—the sparkles long absent from the gold is back.

He reaches into the fire once again, slowly. A firm hand on his arm stops him.

"Stop this, Edward," Maisie says. "You know she wouldn't want this."

He doesn't look at her; he keeps his gaze into the fire, at my face. "I can't live like this anymore. I can't go back. Nothingness is better than this."

"Stop, look at me." She pulls him around to face her, looking up into his eyes fiercely. "I will _not_ let you do this to your family, to yourself. I _won't _let you throw everything away."

He looks back into her eyes sadly. "You can't throw away what you don't have."

She stares at him blankly, crushed. "Edward..." she chokes out.

He ducks his head, closing his eyes. "Tell them I'm sorry. And that I'm... I'm content now." He smiles, glancing back at the fire. "I'm satisfied. I don't want anything else anymore."

A single hysterical sob escapes her mouth. He places a hand on hers, still planted on his arm, stroking it soothingly.

_No, no, no. Don't let him do this,_ I beg them both miserably... hopelessly.

Edward breathes out a small chuckle. "I hear her again."

Maisie falls forward, burying her face into his shoulder. Her sobs come quietly, unceasingly. They wrap their arms around each other, as brother and sister.

"Thank you for being there for me," he whispers in her ear.

She nods against his shoulder. "I'll miss you, Edward... my brother." She squeezes her eyes shut, trying to keep the uncomfortable feeling of dry tears away.

A full minute of silence passes—silence apart from the sobs coming from Maisie, and myself.

"Maisie. Go back to your family," Edward murmurs.

Her eyes still closed, she nods again. She presses her fist against her lips, willing herself to restrain another round of hysterics and force a smile for him.

She pulls away from him and exhales a shuddering breath heavily.

Without even looking into his eyes, she turns, heading towards the trees. Edward watches her trudge across the grass.

"Mackenzie."

She slowly turns, and she meets his eyes. For the last time.

"Look for the stars. They're always there."

She swallows, then nods. And then she flits away.

Edward stands still for a second before turning back to the fire, now slowly growing smaller.

_Edward, please, please don't do this,_ I beg desolately, an unendurable pain expanding in my chest.

He kneels down in front of the fire. _Don't go away, my angel. Stay. I need to hear your voice._

I sob uncontrollably. _I never left you, Edward. I never will._

He closes his eyes and smiles in bewildered pleasure. Finally, he raises his hand, bringing it closer to the flames.

_I love you, Edward. I love you._ It's all without hope now.

The sky begins to turn red. The blanket of clouds gradually lighten, the dawn shading them to an orange red.

Edward delicately nears his fingers to the heat. And then he strokes the fire. Once making contact with the venom through his skin, it crawls up his arm, spreading slowly. My agonized wails are silent.

I push myself out, just as I had for Charlie, but I push my entire self outside of the bubble, leaving it. It's no effort, for now. I wrap my arms around Edward's kneeling body, burying my face in his hair, his neck, his chest. I stroke my fingers across his cheekbones, and plant a ghostly kiss on his forehead.

He seems to feel it, a renewed warmth inside his body, and his smile grows slightly wider.

_I don't feel any pain, Bella. Even now, as I am smothered in flames, nothing hurts. Everything has been hurting for too long now. I kept my promise, after all._

I weep quietly, murmuring, _I love you, I love you, I love you._

He marvels in hearing my voice, the words, until his focus goes in and out. _I love you,_ he sighs, and then I hear no more except the hard sobs from myself, breaking in excruciating spasms from the center of my chest, my body.

_I love you, I love you, I love you..._

* ~ * ~ *

It could have been hours, it could have been days. I look up at the bright sun, slowly setting over the mountains. It blinds me.

_Why?_ I ask plainly, numbly. _Why does everything go on?_

I watch the sun, blinding myself of everything around me. I realize without an interest that the colors are changing. It was orange. Then red. Now it's turning green. Am I losing my mind now?

I close my eyes, wishing my world would end.

Then a breeze washes over me. I sigh. Another breeze, this time warmer. Wondering if it really is possible for a spirit to go insane, I slowly open my eyes, afraid to see the world before me again.

And the first thing I see through my clouded eyes are a pair of green eyes...

**[Wow, I had that last sentence stored in my head ever since the third chapter has been written. I really hoped you liked it. Sorry if the whole chapter was too depressing. Please, please review, especially for this chapter. I don't care how short it is. So there is one more chapter left (or maybe two, I haven't decided). Check back, or 'favorite' this story!]**


	21. Last

I squint my eyes, blinded by the strange but beautiful bright green rings around dark pupils. They send radiant beams of light in every direction, everywhere I can see in my peripheral vision.

Too bright. I can't see anything else.

And the figure gets closer slowly, almost drifting towards me. I'm frozen in astonished fear. Then the green light mixes in with another color—a familiar, vibrant auburn.

Too familiar...

The figure comes closer still, and as the face comes into clear view, I catch my breath. Too different, yet still the same.

Edward stops a few feet from where I am, staring at me. I swallow back a hysterical gasp, looking back into his green eyes.

Then he smiles—the smile I have waited to see, different from the ones he attempted to display for his family; this one was real.

_Bella,_ he whispers. I blink again, disoriented by his voice—also different, but still just as beautiful. _Don't be afraid_.

I thaw out of my frozen crouch, rising cautiously, not once looking away from his green eyes. With deliberate movements, I walk up to him ever so slowly. When I am at an arm's length away from him, I carefully lift my hand, hesitating. If this is a dream, I don't want it to touch the illusion to distort the image. If this is a dream, I don't want it to go away.

My lifted hand stops from inches away from his face, the fingers folding into my palm. How badly I want to touch him...

Edward brings his own hand up as if to touch mine. And when he does, wrapping his long fingers around my hand, nothing about it tells me that this is a dream. Unfamiliar warmth—though so pleasant—courses down the hand he touched, across my arm, and through every inch of my body. I breathe out a sigh.

He lifts my hand so that my palm rests against his warm cheek, and he closes his eyes. I trail my hand across his cheekbones, down his jawline, and run my fingers over his lips. He opens his eyes, and mine immediately attract themselves to the brilliant emerald pools.

This is real. This is as real as ever.

A corner of my lips twitch into a small smile. _Did it take you this much to believe that you had a soul?_

He gently smiles back without a reply. He caresses my face the same way I did his, a sense of longing in his eyes.

He leans in, pressing his face in my hair, exhaling the smell of it before softly kissing me, my hair, my forehead.

Finally he touches his forehead to mine. _This is heaven enough for me._

* ~ * ~ *

_Maisie_, I whisper.

She sits with her back against a tree only a few yards away from the meadow, her face buried in her arms. Dark red hair falls down her shoulders. Alice sits next to her, her head resting on Maisie's shoulder.

_I'm sorry, Bella_, Maisie thinks. _I didn't know what to do._

_Maisie._

She jerks her head up at the sound of Edward's voice, and then she sees him. "Edward."

He grins.

"Edward?" Alice throatily whispers out. Her eyes widen. "Edward! Is he here?"

Maisie's lips stretch into a wide smile, too relieved and joyous to answer. She wraps her arms around Alice, who is still surprised.

"Is he really here?"

Maisie nods.

"Edward... how could you do that?" Alice whimpers. "Think of Esme!"

He looks at Maisie. _Tell her—and everyone else—that I'm happy. That I found where I am supposed to be._ He turns his head to smile at me now. A strange electric current runs down deep inside my chest through the rest of my body.

"Alice," she says in a quietly bewildered tone, "he's happy. Truly happy." She realizes that she never saw Edward with such a smile as genuine and true as one he wears now.

Alice's expression softens.

Suddenly, away from us, a small bright light forms, growing bigger and bigger. It glows with pearly colors—soft pink, soft orange, and a hint of light green. I've never seen anything more beautiful besides the spirit standing next to me.

Edward looks in the direction of the white illumination as I do, an expression of awe on his face.

"What is it?" Maisie asks inaudibly, knowing what the answer was already.

_We see it_, I tell her.

"What?" Alice asks.

Maisie presses her lips together before answering, looking down at her hands. "They're ready to cross over."

Alice is silent, along with Maisie.

_Maisie, keep the family together. Let them know that we're happy now,_ Edward requests.

Her eyes bore into mine and Edward's. She takes a deep breath and nods confidently to hide her dry tears.

"Edward, Bella," Alice says, sensing farewells. She cracks a smile. "Be happy," she quotes me. "Really."

_We will_, I promise her.

"Hey," Maisie calls to us. "Say hi to my dad for me. And don't get into any trouble while you're there, you hear?"

I drift over to hug both Maisie and Alice, and Edward does the same.

Then I take Edward's hand, marveling in the comforting warmth, and we step towards the light, the doorway to our heaven.

_Together._

_

**[This chapter is called 'Last' because of two meanings of the word: 1) the last, as in the final chapter, and 2) because this story basically says everything, including love, lasts forever. So anyways, I have to thank every one of my readers who reviewed my story and kept coming back for more. You were a great support to me, and you are the ones who motivated me to write so much. Again, for the last time in this story, all the characters (except for Mackenzie J. Curtis) belong to Miss Stephenie Meyer, along with her novel, _Twilight_. Thanks again to everyone, and if you could review for the last time for this FanFic, I would really love that! Thank you!]**

**[[One more thing: I have already started writing the first chapter for another FanFic, so if you would check back to read it, that would be great. Love you all!]]**

**Love, Sherbie2012**

**_**

**Break,** by** Three Days Grace**

_Tonight my head is spinning  
I need something to pick me up  
I've tried but nothing is working  
I won't stop, I won't say I've had enough_

__

Tonight I start the fire  
Tonight I break away

Break away from everybody  
Break away from everything  
If you can't stand the way this place is  
Take yourself to higher places

At night I feel like a vampire  
It's not right but I just can't give it up  
I'll try to get myself higher  
Lets go were going to light it up

Tonight we start the fire  
Tonight we break away

Break away from everybody  
Break away from everything  
If you can't stand the way this place is  
Take yourself to higher places

If you can't stand the way this place is  
Take yourself to higher places

Break away from everybody  
Break away from everything  
If you can't stand the way this place is  
Take yourself to higher places

_Higher places  
To higher places  
Higher places  
Take yourself to higher places_


	22. update for readers

Hi, everyone!

This is just an update for my readers. I have a new story posted up, so if you would check it out and review it, that would be awesome. It's called _The Band-Aid That Covered My Bullet Hole_. Let me know what you think. Thanks!

Love you all, SherBie.


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